Parallel Paths
by Hmez
Summary: Sometimes a single choice is all it takes to change the outcome of an entire universe. Sam Manson makes a spur of the moment decision out of pure curiosity, changing her life - and those of her friends - forever. Now she must learn to control her powers or risk not only her secret, but the lives of everyone she holds dear.
1. Prologue

Prologue

In an isolated realm known to us as the 'Ghost Zone', a strange being holds a timeless vigil. He resides in a most peculiar clock-tower, carrying not just one clock and its workings, but instead hundreds of thousands. In his collection the timepieces of history can be found, from the most primitive clepsydrae and sundial to the most complex quantum clock, all attempting to accurately measure that which no creature bound to time can ever truly quantify.

Yet, it is not the keeping of time that concerns this being. Rather, it is the flow of time as blood in the veins of reality.

His unusual home was chosen not because this being sees himself as some undead entity or lost spirit, but because in this particular fragment of this particular world, the boundaries between dimensions thin to an unprecedented width. Here, the master of time's mysteries can watch not only the progression of the fate of the world, but the progression of _all_ the fates of _all_ the worlds.

He spends his infinite days gazing into the puzzles of each reality, following the different paths that fate may take given each and every choice.

On very rare occasions, the Master of Time will make his _own_ choice, and direct the flow of time's great river to split into a new channel, a new direction, diverging into a path thus far untouched.


	2. Ch 1 - Twist of Fate

**Episode 1 - Twist of Fate**

_"There are as many worlds as there are kinds of days, and as an opal changes its colors and its fire to match the nature of a day, so do I."_

_― John Steinbeck_

"Smile!" Sam said cheerfully, holding up her old-fashioned Polaroid and snapping a photo of Danny, one of her best friends, in front of his parent's latest invention.

Danny blinked at the force of the flash, then sighed, "Okay, I showed you the portal, so can we get out of here now? My parents could be back here any minute!" The fourteen-year-old child of ghost hunters said hurriedly, lowering the jumpsuit he'd been showing his friends. "Besides, they say it doesn't work anyway." He added, throwing a glance at the 'portal' behind him.

Sam Manson was not so easily persuaded. For the past several years she had been fascinated with the Gothic and the occult. The idea of a ghostly world, possible proof of the afterlife, was just too cool to pass up in her opinion. She wandered over to the dark doorway, staring at it with fascination.

"Come on, Danny! A 'ghost zone' - aren't you curious?" Sam asked over her shoulder, "You've gotta check it out!" she insisted, hoping to appeal to her friend's sense of curiosity and adventure. Danny came to stand by her, staring pensively into the portal, looking tempted. As he stared at the cool blue light it emitted, he was forcibly reminded of all of his parent's other failed experiments, many of which had destroyed parts of the house or else embarrassed him and his sister to no end.

"I'll pass." He decided finally, shaking his head. "Besides, it would probably electrocute me or something. It's not worth it."

Sam snorted at her friend's lack of enthusiasm, taking the jumpsuit from Danny. "Fine, but I'm going to at least see if it works. Can you imagine all the awesome, super-cool things there could be on the other side of that portal? A whole world full of ghosts! It would be so..._spooky_!" She enthused, pulling on the black-and-white uniform over her usual outfit. The suit would at least protect her clothes, in case the portal shot out some ecto-goo, like many of Danny's parent's inventions had wont to do.

"But first -" She looked down at her self as she zipped up the suit, ripping off the 'Jack Fenton' face-logo, "I can't go walking around with _this_ on my chest. Hmm, too bad this doesn't come in all black." She commented idly, checking out the tight-fitting uniform.

Her other best friend Tucker glanced up only briefly from the PDA currently glued to his fingers, uninterested, while Danny continued to look concerned.

"I don't know, Sam, you could get hurt." He voiced, not having the most confidence in his parent's schemes.

Sam ignored him, choosing instead to step boldly into the unpowered portal. The entire thing cast a ghostly blue light over her as she wandered inside, her two best friends hovering nervously in the lab behind her. Sam looked around cautiously, her eyes alighting on the 'on/off' switch.

_"I wonder..._" she thought to herself, staring pensively at the switch, "_Danny's parents have only tried to activate this from _outside_ the portal. Maybe if you do it while standing in it, it will work like a teleporter?_" Curious about her plan, Sam hesitantly reached out and gently pushed the button in.

In that instant, everything changed.

The machine came alive with a blinding flare of green energy. The force of the portal's power surged along its uncompleted circuitry, but - being incomplete - the system could not establish a link between the ghostly and human world. The energy began to build at an exponential rate, having no outlet. Overloaded with the highly charged ectoplasmic energy, the power was soon too much for the circuits to contain. It was forced to flow into the only remaining open channel: the body of the girl still touching the power switch.

Sam screamed with the pain of the energy now searing through her veins like fire. It felt as if every cell in her body were being ripped apart at the molecular level. Her blood was boiling, her lungs unable to draw air, every nerve in such intense pain that Sam felt as if she were...dying.

_"But, I can't die yet!_ " She thought frantically, "_I'm only fourteen, I haven't even got the chance to learn to drive, to graduate high school, to...to fall in love!" _

Thoughts of Danny, and Tucker, of her family and friends and the possible life she could have had suddenly invaded her mind - and despite the fact that she was paralyzed with the intensity of her physical anguish, her body begging her to give up and just _die_, she suddenly would not give in.

She felt, somewhere within her, a building force that was fighting against the shadows invading her thoughts. She clung to that tiny fragment of defense, that will to live, using it as a shield against the overwhelming pain. It was the only lifeline that kept her from falling into the darkness of death that clawed at the corners of her mind.

Just when Sam thought she couldn't hold on any longer, that the pain would surely tear her deteriorating body apart whether she resisted or not, the portal suddenly began shutting down. As the power was cut to the circuits, the energy died out and the fiery pain was at last extinguished. Sam found she could breathe again, but her body felt...strange. She distantly heard Danny and Tucker yelling her name, sounding terrified. She knew she should be worried by the fear in their voices, but Sam couldn't focus on why just yet. Blurry outlines of her friends coming to her aid swam before here eyes, vaguely surprising her that they were above her. She must have fallen to the floor of the machine. She tried to keep her eyes open, but could not keep awake any longer. The pain of her ordeal had drained her so much that she could not think straight, and soon the sweet cloud of unconsciousness became to tempting to resist, and she allowed herself to at last drift away from the pain wracking her body.

* * *

Danny could not believe what had happened, and yet he had suspected something like this would go wrong! He should have never let her go in there! How could he be such an idiot? As soon as Sam had walked in, the portal had for some unknown reason been activated, but something had gone terribly wrong. As the alarms blared in warning and sparks of raging electricity shot over the lab, Danny had at first been too paralyzed by fear to do anything, staring with terror at the overloading portal. Then it had truly hit him - one of his best friends was trapped in there! _Sam_ was in there! He had done the first thing that made sense to his shell-shocked mind: he had run to the mainframe that controlled all power to the house and - disregarding the arcs of electricity shooting over the board - he had grabbed the switch and threw all his weight behind it, slamming the handle down into the 'closed' position, effectively cutting off all power to everything in the lab and the house, including the portal. Yet as the dim lights of the emergency generator bathed them, Danny was already running to the portal where Tucker still crouched, slowly removing his hands from his head where he had attempted to shield himself from the explosion of electricity.

Danny did not even notice his friend's expression, or any of the damage around him. He was too completely overwhelmed by the sight of the girl lying in the portal. He could not even catch his breath.

Sam lay on the unpowered metal floor, but it was not the Sam Danny knew. Her hair was now silver-white, like new-fallen snow, sprawled in a cloud under her face. The jumpsuit she was wearing before had been inverted, its colors opposite, and a strange glowing white hue surrounded not just her pale skin, but her whole body. Danny felt tears spring to his eyes as he crouched next to his friend, gently brushing the hair from her face. He gasped as his fingers touched her skin, finding her unnaturally cold, like a corpse. He quickly put a hand to her chest, feeling for a heartbeat. Yet all he could feel through the strangely cool fabric of the jumpsuit was a weird, tingly heat. Nothing else.

Danny felt tears spring to his eyes, unable to reconcile the stillness under his palm with the reality it screamed at him.

"Sam!" He cried in anguish, staring at his best friend's lifeless form.

"No, please….you can't be dead!" He whispered desperately, his voice cracking with grief. He took one of her hands in his own, clutching it tightly as if that mere contact could keep death from taking her from him.

Tucker continued to remain still and mute as a statue, unable to even fathom what had happened.

Danny's tears fell without restriction, running in silent tracks of sorrow to drip softly onto Sam's still face. As the wet drops struck the girl's skin, her muscles reacted in a minuscule twitch. That tiny movement, more subtle than the flicker of a candle flame, made Danny's heart stop.

"Sam?" he breathed, gazing intently at her face, hardly daring to hope.

Sam's eyes twitched again, then fluttered opened for the barest second.

Danny was too shocked to even notice the difference in their color, or that the pulse in the hand he still clasped in his own was so faint as to nearly be unnoticeable.

"Sam!" He cried out again, only this time in jubilation.

Tucker snapped to attention at the change in Danny's tone, just as the boy yelled to his friend,

"Tucker, hurry! Help me get her out of here! She's alive!"

Within seconds the two had lifted the unconscious girl and carried her out of the portal, laying her on the only available surface, the lab table.

"We need to call an ambulance!" Danny insisted digging in his pockets for a cellphone before remembering he had left it in his locker at school after running home to avoid Dash. Tucker, never far from technology, whipped out his phone immediately, only to find it had been short-circuited in the wake of the power storm surging around them.

"My phone's dead!" he cried, while Danny was already darting to the corner of the lab, grabbing the house phone off the wall. Yet that, too, was out seeing that he had cut the main power to the house.

They were both about to truly panic when suddenly Sam gave a soft moan and shifted, drawing the two boys' attention.

They watched with a mixture of fascination and fear as a ring of startlingly bright white-purple light appeared at her middle, separating into two and moving outwards toward her head and toes. As they traveled over her body, the rings turned the now-inverted jumpsuit back into the dark plaid skirt and black top Sam had been wearing before she entered the portal. Her hair reverted to its usual glossy black and the strange white glow that had surrounded her skin was gone.

Tucker and Danny stared at their friend in disbelief as her eyes opened and she sat up slowly, putting a hand to her aching head.

"W-what happened?" Sam mumbled, trying to remember in the swirl of painful memories just how she had survived.

Her two best friends were instantly at her side, looking so stricken with grief and fear that Sam wondered for a moment if she _was_ still alive.

"Woah, Sam - you - well, you got seriously fried!" Tucker said, then winced at his terrible choice of words.

Danny elbowed him in the side, contributing to his wince,

"Something happened with the portal, it overloaded I guess. We thought that you were...its just, you looked so different with your hair and everything!" Danny attempted to explain, his voice still trembling with emotion, only slightly more coherent than Tucker.

Sam stood up, her legs wobbling as they took her full weight, but she paid them no heed. She was too freaked out by Danny's words to wait for her body to catch up. She stumbled her way to the lab bathroom, a strange feeling filling her chest.

She glanced into the mirror only to see her usual reflection, albeit rather pale and sweaty from all that she had just been through.

Just as Sam was about to sigh in relief, Danny came up behind her.

"Uh...Sam, are you okay?" He asked, voice full of concern.

Sam blinked and turned around, leaning her back against the sink so her knees wouldn't give out.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine now. Everything looks nor- "

A bright white-purple ring abruptly appeared around her waist, cutting Sam off mid-sentence. She stared down at herself in fear, while Danny watched in worry as the rings once again engulfed his friend, reverting her to the form he had seen a few moments ago. This time, though, Sam remained conscious.

Sam glanced at her hands, now gloved in white, and felt the most peculiar sensation of her life. She felt lighter, somehow, even though she was still standing on the ground, and there was a curious tingling running through her nerves, as if she had some sort of inner energy surging in her veins. There was also a bizarre heat - or was it just so cold it felt hot? - that seemed nestled against her heart, deep in her chest.

Struck with a sudden, terrifying thought, Sam whirled around and gazed into the mirror, gasping with shock.

The girl looking back at her was far from what she had expected. If she had not been standing there in person, Sam never would have recognized herself. Her hair was silver-white, free from its usual ponytail, and her eyes were bright gold and _glowing_! In fact, everything was glowing, even her skin!

Unable to take it all in, Sam closed her eyes, wishing the strange apparition before her would just.._disappear. _ A gasp from Danny forced Sam to open her eyes again, only to see her reflection abruptly….vanish.

Sam shrieked, Danny nearly fainted, gripping the doorway to the bathroom for support, and Tucker arrived at the door just in time to see Sam materialize once more, her hands over her mouth to try and contain her urge to continue screaming. She had somehow just turned invisible!

There was a moment of purely shocked silence, where the three friends could only stare blankly at one another.

Tucker was the first to recover, "Sam, I think that explosion gave you super powers! Like in the comics!" he blurted with awe, his 'geek' side fueling his enthusiasm enough to cut through his shock.

Sam came out of her surprise enough to frown at him doubtfully, clutching the sink for dear life once more. "Super-powers? Really, Tucker? Look at me!" She demanded, indicating her now glowing, inverted appearance.

Tucker still grinned like an idiot, but Danny's eyes clouded over in thought.

"Tucker, I don't think you're completely wrong." Danny said slowly, causing both Sam and Tucker to look to him in surprise. "That portal was meant to go into the ghost zone, but I think it might have actually turned _you_ into a ghost." He said in concern, staring at Sam's new _ghostly_ glow.

Sam met Danny's worried gaze and felt her heart sinking, "Does that mean I'm _dead_?" she asked in panic.

"I know I'm goth and all, but this is taking it too far! I don't want to be a ghost!" She yelled frantically, cutting off any attempts at consolation her friends might have given. Yet as soon as the desire to be _not-_ghost had formed in her mind, even before the words fully left her mouth, the blinding whitish rings appeared once more, washing over her in an instant and leaving Sam Manson standing there, looking as human as ever.

Sam felt the difference immediately, her body back to normal with the exception that she could still feel the strange cold-heat in her chest, but it was muted, as if inactive at the moment. The three friends were once again struck speechless by the oddity of the events unfolding.

"Kids, are you down there?" the voice of Jack Fenton yelled down the lab stairs, jolting the three into sudden panicked action. "Why is the power out?"

"Ah! My parents are home! We can't let them see you like this, Sam, they _hunt_ ghosts!" Danny ranted hurriedly, looking around frantically for somewhere to hide.

"Come on, lets get to my room!" He decided, grabbing Tucker and Sam by the wrists as the three darted up the basement stairs. They barely managed to dodge Danny's father, who was luckily too occupied in trying to find the fridge in the dim lighting to notice them. Danny's mother was still outside, gathering groceries out of the car. They dashed up the stairs and were almost safe when they encountered Jazz in the hallway. She glared at them suspiciously, taking note of their slightly singed appearances and terrified faces.

"What have you guys been doing? Why is the power out?" she demanded.

Sam fidgeted nervously, still too stunned by the recent events to think clearly, while Danny hurried to come up with an excuse. When his friend failed to do more than mouth wordlessly at his sister, Tucker came to his rescue.

"We were working on a school project!" he offered quickly.

Danny and Sam seized the excuse with poorly concealed relief.

"Yes! A project, that required us to...uh...be in the dark!" Sam added. Jazz responded with an unconvinced raised eyebrow.

Danny hurried to clarify his friends' excuses, "It's a project on bio-luminescence, so we had to see what stuff glowed in the dark! For..uh, science!" he finished. This time his sister looked only slightly less skeptical.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense - sort of. But why did you have to shut off all the power? Why not just turn the lights off in the lab?" Jazz asked, annoyed now as well as suspicious.

"Uh, we just wanted to be thorough! Now, we'd better get back to working on it!" Danny offered lamely, dragging Tucker and Sam into his room and slamming the door closed in Jazz's face, before she could interrogate them further.

"Well that was...smooth." Sam commented sarcastically, folding her arms.

"Although I am impressed that you pay enough attention in science to know what 'bio-luminescence' means." she added dryly.

Soon, however, her expression of cool indifference melted away, leaving her as fearful and vulnerable as before.

"What are we going to do? What _am_ I?" Sam asked her friends in a frightened whisper, staring down at her hands, watching in horror as they vanished and then reappeared. Danny put a comforting hand on her shoulder, unable to bear seeing his best friend in such turmoil.

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out. My parents are going to a ghost-weapons expo tomorrow, so if you want we can use their equipment to see what's going on. Whatever happened, you're still Sam, and that means you're still our best friend. We'll stick by you no matter what! Right, Tucker?"

The techno-loving boy grinned in agreement, "You bet! We'll always be your friends Sam, even if you are half-dead!"

Danny glared at his friend's lack of tact, but to their surprise Sam managed a weak smile at the joke.

"Thanks, guys, I don't know what I would do without you." she sighed, glancing at the clock. "My parents wanted me home for dinner tonight. What am I going to do if I start turning all invisible in the middle of dessert?" She demanded worriedly.

To this, neither of her friends had a permanent solution, but Danny offered hesitantly,

"Say you're sick or something? Just try and hold out until tomorrow. Maybe there's some kind of cure we can come up with!" He said, attempting to cheer up his gloomy friend.

Sam sighed, offering Danny a weak smile in gratitude. She knew her parents would not fall for that ruse, as they'd be more likely to bring in their team of doctors than just let her go to bed unchecked. The last thing she needed right now was the scrutiny of an entire medical team _and_ her parents. Still, there was one ace in her deck that never failed to get Sam isolated in her room. It would just mean she'd have to sneak out tomorrow.

With those plans in mind, Sam grabbed her backpack and headed for the door.

"I'll do my best to avoid them. Until then, keep your phones on, guys, I may need rescuing in a hurry!" Sam put on a brave face for her friends, who forced smiles over their own worried faces as they walked her do the door of FentonWorks.

She glanced back at them sadly as she began the trek home, knowing what she would face their would be far worse than a malfunctioning portal.


	3. Ch 2 - Day One

**Episode 2 - Day One **

Early morning sunlight streamed through curtained windows, shattering into warm fragments of gold against the backs of Sam's eyelids. She grumbled to herself, squeezing her eyes shut tighter to block the sun.

"Bubeleh?" A voice called, strangely hesitant and confused.

Sam blinked awake and yawned, feeling oddly stiff as she sat up. She glanced across the room to see her grandmother in the doorway, perched on her scooter. Then something seemed to fall into place in the girl's sleepy mind.

This wasn't her room!

Sam jolted to her feet, her eyes wide as she realized she was somehow in the dining room, a full two floors below her bedroom, sleeping in the middle of the table! Sam glanced up to her grandmother, who was staring at her in concern,

"Are you alright dearie?" the old woman questioned further.

Sam involuntarily shook her head 'no', while answering, "Yeah, fine. I must have been sleepwalking or something." She came up with hurriedly, jumping down from the table and rushing past her grandmother before the woman could say anything else. She sprinted up two flights of stairs to her bathroom, and hurriedly locked the door behind her. For a few seconds all Sam could do was catch her breath and calm her frantically beating heart, before she finally gathered the courage to look in the mirror. Her usual appearance stared back at her, the only difference being her hair was ruffled from sleep and there was a slight flush on her cheeks from running so quickly up the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, Sam closed her eyes and concentrated. She hoped beyond hope that this would not work, that it had all been some terrible dream...but almost as soon as she thought about…about being a _ghost_, the cold-heat in her chest flared to life, and she felt the transformation wash over her. She didn't need to open her eyes to know it had worked. She could feel the difference immediately, in the lightness that spread through her limbs, in the way she didn't seem to need to breathe as much, how her pulse was no longer a frantic thudding in her ears but instead a subtle muted drum. Sam opened her eyes and forced herself to look in the mirror. The reflection of a ghost stared back at her before the image became blurred through the distorted lens of unshed tears.

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door, jolting Sam to life.

"Sammykins, are you in there?" her mother called, her tone harsher than usual. Cearly, she was still angry from the previous evening, and Sam could hardly blame her. In order to garner some alone-time for herself, Sam had resorted to drastic measures. She could still hear the echo of her parent's furious yells ringing in her ears.

_"You did WHAT?!" her mother screamed, causing Sam to wince as she tried to slip past the towering wall of pink-and-lace fury that was Pamela Manson. _

_"Uh…you heard me!" Sam shouted back, her voice wavering with her lack of conviction as she attempted to sound defiant. _

_"So what if I got a tattoo? A horrible gothic one, too…from a guy in his basement! It's no big deal. In fact, I think I'll get another one!" _

_A small part of Sam distantly watched in morbid fascination as her mother's complexion paled from fiery red rage into a color resembling rotten cauliflower. _

_"No. You. Will. Not." Pamela responded in a deathly quiet tone, her eyes narrowing dangerously. _

_"You are grounded until further notice, and I WILL be telling your father about this as soon as he gets home from work! Until then, you will stay in your room and so help me if I ever let you out!" _

_Sam inwardly sighed with relief. _

_"Fine!" she forced herself to yell back, adding a stamp of her foot for good measure, "But I'd never want to come out anyway!" _

_Without another word she darted up the steps, using the plausible facade of her teenage rebellion to cover the trembling fear still gripping her heart. _

_She slammed her door behind her and threw herself on the bed, forcing deep breaths into her lungs, trying desperately to keep from crying. If she wasn't so terrified of what she had become, Sam would have felt a bit more remorse for putting her mother through that ordeal. After all, she might want to push her parents' limits occasionally, but this was crossing the line a little bit. _

_She still cared about her parents, even if they didn't understand her. _

_A timid knock sounded on the doorframe, followed by Sam's father's voice. _

_"Samantha? Can I come in and talk to you?" he questioned through the wood, his voice wavering between stern and worried. _

_Sam knew he was only acting angry for her mother's sake. In fact, her father probably suspected she didn't really have a tattoo. After all, why would she tell her parents about it when she knew she'd be punished? _

_Sam couldn't bring herself to open the door or answer, however. She rolled over and buried her face into her pillows, trying not to wonder what her father would say if she told him the true reason she'd yelled at her mother. _

_She didn't want to think about what had happened, about how she might be…_

_No, she most certainly was not _dead_, that Sam knew for sure. She was breathing, her heart was beating, she could think and feel everything just as she always did. Yet, was that completely true? Even now she could feel that frigid heat deep in her chest, thrumming with a subtle energy that was at once both a flickering flame and an icy chill. It coiled around her heart like a sinuous snake; a constant reminder that she was something _other_, no longer human…_

"Samantha! Answer me this instant!" Her mother suddenly shrieked, ripping the girl from her dark musings.

Sam sighed, answering tonelessly, "I'm getting dressed mom, what is it?"

An irritated huff sounded through the door.

"Your father and I are heading to the airport. You are not to leave the house while we are away, understand?" her mother demanded, her tone sharp.

Sam winced as she responded lightly, "Okay mom, I'll be working on biology homework all weekend anyway."

This seemed to satisfy her overbearing mother, for after another disbelieving huff, her mother's footsteps echoed with increasing faintness from the hall.

Sam took a deep breath and stared into the mirror once more. Glowing golden eyes stared back at her, the burning trepidation shining through the only hint that they belonged to her.

* * *

An hour later and Sam was standing in front of Danny's door, ringing the bell. Luckily it was Danny who answered, for Sam wasn't sure how she'd handle Mr. and Mrs. Fenton's crazed energy or Jazz's suspicious analysis this early in the morning (early for her, at least, it was already nearly eleven).

Danny ushered her in, and as soon as the two were safely secured in the lab, waiting for Tucker to arrive, Sam began venting her worries and frustrations to her patient friend.

"…And then, after I must have just fallen through the ceiling, I was eating breakfast and my hand turned invisible again and my fork just fell right through it! If that wasn't bad enough, as I was taking a shower I started to float! As in, feet leaving the ground and everything!" she finished, her head dropping despairingly into her hands. Danny pulled a chair over for her to sit in, then settled himself down next to her.

"Take it easy, Sam. Don't worry, we'll figure this out. My parents won't be back until tonight, and Tucker said he'd be here in a few minutes, he's already been working on the problem! Oh, and by the way, my parents are totally psyched that the portal is working now. I'm sure they'd be eternally grateful if they knew it was because of you."

Sam knew Danny was doing all he could to lift her spirits, and she appreciated his effort, but at the moment the fact that she was possibly a _ghost_ made everything he said turn into a ringing in her ears. The goth girl sighed, trying to get a handle on her wild emotions before she lashed out at him.

"You know, Sam, the whole floating thing isn't so bad. Can you imagine flying? Wouldn't that be so cool?" Danny mused absently, unaware of the dark look Sam was giving him.

"I don't believe it! Danny, are you seriously thinking this...mutation...is a good thing?" Sam asked angrily. So much for not lashing out.

Her friend held his hands up in surrender,

"Hey, it was just a thought! And I wouldn't say its a 'mutation' or anything. I mean, you still look normal." Danny hurried to add.

Sam glared even more at his lack of tact.

"Look 'normal'? Are you kidding? Half the time I look like some glowing white-haired freak! The other half of the time I don't look like _anything_ because I keep turning invisible and falling through floors!"

Luckily for Danny, Tucker appeared at the end of the steps at that moment, his arrival masked by Sam's anxious ranting.

"Uh, guys. Can we focus a little bit? If we want to figure out what's going on here, we'll have to run some tests, and they could take all day." Tucker declared to break through the argument, wilting somewhat under Sam's furious stare.

"What do you mean, 'tests'?" she demanded, her patience already thinned from stress.

Tucker moved to the lab table, setting up his laptop and PDA and arranging the Fenton's equipment to his needs. He answered Sam as he began absently prepping a slide for one of the Fenton's powerful microscopes.

"Well, for one thing, we'll have to get a blood and cell sample to see what is going on at the molecular level."

Sam was grudgingly impressed.

"Wow, Tucker, I didn't know you knew anything about this kind of stuff. I just thought you were into tech."

Tucker shrugged in response, "Medical technology is pretty cool too, so I learned some of it. Plus, since I'm terrified of hospitals I figured I should know enough to keep me out of them." He picked up the device used to prick fingers for blood samples and winced, "Although, it still freaks me out. You'll have to take the samples yourself." He said, passing off the equipment to Sam. The goth girl smirked at her friend's squeamishness while she got to work.

Soon the three were busy studying the samples harder than they studied for tests on a regular basis, and the time drained by. Sam thought it was ironic that she was technically studying biology, just as she had promised her mom.

Danny blinked as he stared at the monitor, his eyes red from hours of reading through lines of jargon he barely understood that his parent's equipment was spewing onto Tucker's laptop.

"Uh, guys? I can't really be sure, since I'm only a C-student in biology, but I think this is important." He pointed to a section of the screen outlining the composition of Sam's genetic sequence. Sam leaned in closer, being more knowledgeable about these things than the two boys. Yet it hardly mattered. The computer's conclusion was clear enough to be understood by even the fourteen-year-olds deciphering it.

"_DNA contains ectoplasmic contamination_." Sam read aloud, frowning. "I guess that makes sense, but does that mean it will go away?" she asked the room at large. Danny grimaced, pointing at the screen again.

"Keep reading." he answered solemnly.

Sam continued to scan the computer's read-out, certain phrases causing her to catch her breath,

"But...this sounds like the DNA has _fused_ with the ectoplasm..it's like a whole different molecule now. That would mean..."

"There's no way of separating it, at least not with the technology we have now. It would just tear your DNA apart. That would seriously mess you up!" Tucker finished for her, looking grim.

Danny interjected, keeping his eyes locked on Sam's face, "Not to mention the ectoplasm-DNA is inside your cells….I think. If you tried to get it out of those...who knows what would happen."

Sam felt a mounting pressure behind her eyes that was rapidly becoming familiar, but forced back the desire to cry.

"So...that's it then, I'm stuck like this?" She asked, already knowing the answer, but feeling as if a heavy weight were settling in her stomach.

Danny and Tucker nodded, and Sam flung herself back in her seat, feeling her eyes begin to water and her throat tighten despite how hard she tried to stop it.

Danny stared at the floor while Tucker busied himself with saving the data to his hard-drive and dismantling the equipment. They had learned enough for one day. Neither boy knew what to say to try and comfort their friend.

Sam, meanwhile, was too lost in her own thoughts to notice the distraught expressions of her friends. She was now, irreversibly, no longer human. For the rest of her life - however long that may be, she didn't even know if the accident would have any mortal consequences - she was going to have to deal with being...part _ghost_. Sure, Sam had always wanted to be unique, to stand apart from the crowd and do her own thing regardless of weather or not it was 'cool', but this was more than she had bargained for. What was she supposed to do with this mutation? Should she tell her parents and go to a hospital, see if someone could cure her - or would she just be locked up and experimented on? Would her parents - ever so skeptical and close-minded when it came to the paranormal - even believe her, or think she had been doing some weird drugs?

Sam was jolted from her thoughts when Danny sat down next to her. His cool blue eyes were full of understanding, but Sam was glad to see there wasn't any pity in them. She didn't think she could deal with being coddled at the moment.

"Sam, you know this doesn't change anything. What we said yesterday still stands. We will always be your friends, and we'll always be here for you." He said confidently, gently taking Sam's hand in his own. Tucker sat down on Sam's other side, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, and we'll help you figure all this out, I can even make you a cool superhero name if you want! Complete with theme song!"

Sam glared at Tucker, but it softened into an unbidden smile.

They were serious, they really did still want to be her friends despite what she was. In that instant, Sam felt truly lucky to have such loyal friends. She couldn't imagine anyone else she knew sticking with her through all this. Just knowing they were there to help her deal with everything while not treating her like some kind of monster made it that much more bearable. She was just about to tell them so when the three were once again interrupted by the booming sound of Mr. Fenton's cheerful baritone.

"Hey kids! we're back and ready to show off all our new ghost weapons!" He yelled enthusiastically throughout the house. The three teenagers jumped to their feet in panic.

"My room?" Danny asked rhetorically, already running for the stairs. Tucker and Sam were fast on his heels, but just as they reached the stairs, Jack Fenton came stomping down the steps, his arms loaded with an array of frightening devices - some humming threateningly, others glowing a sickly green.

"Oh good, you're already down here!" the boisterous ghost hunter exclaimed happily, dumping the load in his arms onto Danny, who promptly collapsed with the weight of the weaponry. Jack did not seem to notice, instead he dragged the remaining teenagers back to their seats, rambling as he did so,

"I have great news, kids! We got the portal working yesterday! Now we finally have a chance to study real ghosts. However, the portal seems to let ghosts into our world whether I want it to or not, so until I get a lock for it it's time you kids learned how to defend yourselves against ghosts!"

He turned and grabbed a random weapon from Danny, who had managed to stagger his way over despite the load in his arms.

"This is the Fenton thermos! It catches ghosts! Or...it's supposed to, once I get it working!" Jack enthused, only looking mildly put-out that his inventions were so far unsuccessful. He tossed it to Tucker as he began rummaging through the pile Danny had dumped on the table, while the ghost hunter's son resumed his seat next to his friends.

"Sorry about this guys, I didn't think my parents would get home so early. I guess my dad is more excited about the portal working than I thought." Danny whispered, glancing worriedly at Sam.

To her credit, the goth girl was hiding any fear remarkably well, although she kept eyeing the 'thermos' in Tucker's hands uneasily. What if it somehow started working and zapped her or shot ectoplasm-soup at her? How was she supposed to explain that to Danny's dad?

Her thoughts were suddenly distracted by the weird, cold fire abruptly flaring to life in her chest, and a second later a violet-colored steam escaped her lips. She choked, clapping a hand to her mouth and looking frantically at her friends, who had expressions of horror plastered on their faces.

But they were not looking at her.

Sam whirled around in time to see the ghost portal, alive with that dreaded green energy, swirling with a purpose now that it was active. A second later and two glowing green _creatures_ escaped the portal, floating malevolently above the teenagers. The three could only stare in horror while the two octopus-like apparitions cackled in a ghostly way, then abruptly flung their tentacles around the two boys' waists, lifting them into the air.

Jack Fenton, unfortunately, did not notice the teenagers' plight, as he was currently charging up another ecto-weapon that was emitting an extremely loud 'hum' and issuing smoke. The malfunctioning invention had grabbed the man's entire attention.

Tucker yelled and began frantically hitting his captor with the useless Fenton thermos, which proved as ineffective as ever. Danny was struggling fiercely, but his human strength was a poor defense against the ghostly appendages surrounding him.

Sam had no time to think about what she was doing. It was pure instinct, driven by the sight of her two best friends in danger. The bright lavendar-white rings flashed over her body, and in an instant Sam felt herself rise into the air. She had no plan, no ideas, no control whatsoever - but she knew she had to do _something_ to help her friends! The ghostly cephalopods looked to have no goal other than to terrorize the two humans in their grasp by squeezing them all the harder.

Sam did the only thing that made sense. She _willed_ herself to move towards them, just as she would make herself run faster rather than walk. It was a conscious choice, but like running she didn't think 'put one leg in front of the other faster'. Instead, she just frantically commanded herself to.._fly_!

The result was instantaneous. Her body sped forward, ramming her shoulder into the ghost holding Tucker, which was so shocked at being struck that it released its hold on the techno-geek. Tucker dropped into his chair, still clutching the thermos like a lifeline.

Sam spun around and aimed for the other undead octopus, this time raising a fist and using the momentum of her flight to put enough force behind her to land a much more powerful punch than she could manage as a human girl. The second ghost shrieked in dismay and dropped Danny, who landed next to Tucker, gasping for air but otherwise unharmed.

Now Sam was at a loss. She could continue attempting to fight the two ghost animals, but what good would that do? If they ran away then they could just come back and attack them again, or attack someone else!

Sam began to panic as the two ghosts recovered, turning their angry red gazes on her.

Suddenly, Tucker yelled,

"Sam, catch!"

She turned just in time to avoid being struck in the head with the Fenton thermos. Instead she managed to grab it by the tips of her fingers.

She hastily opened the cap and pointed it at the ghosts, pressing the button on the side as she did so.

Nothing happened.

"What now?" Sam gasped as the ghosts surrounded her, their tentacles flaring with green energy.

Danny chanced a glance at his father, who was still amazingly oblivious to all that was going on,

"It runs on ghost energy!" He offered, flinching when Sam glared at him.

"What the heck is ghost energy?" She demanded, but there was no time to wait for an answer. The ghosts lashed their long tentacles toward her, and Sam focused, without really thinking about it, on the feel of the strange tingling in her nerves that she had felt when she had first transformed into a ghost. Her friends watched in fear and awe as the glow around their currently-ghost friend brightened into a corona, surrounding the Fenton thermos as well. Sam didn't hesitate, knowing she could not hold her concentration for long, and pushed the power with all her will into the device in her hands. The thermos reacted instantly to the surge of ectoplasmic energy now charging its circuits. A bright blue beam erupted from the device, engulfing the two ghosts that were mere centimeters away from wrapping their deadly limbs around Sam. The beam retracted once it had enveloped its targets, sucking the unfortunate specters inside the trap. Sam hurried to cap it as soon as the beam disappeared. To everyone's relief, it remained closed.

Unable to focus any longer, Sam dropped to the ground just as the lavender-white rings washed over her once more.

And without another second to spare.

Jack Fenton managed to at last disable his ready-to-explode ecto-gun. He whirled around to the three teenagers, oblivious to his son and Tucker's shocked expressions or Sam's winded appearance. Instead, he brandished another weapon, saying cheerfully,

"Now this one, kids, will really help you fight ghosts! You see it rips out the- "

"Dad?" Danny cut in suddenly, interrupting his father before things could get any worse.

"I think we've got it, thanks. I don't think protecting ourselves against ghosts will be much of a problem."

His dad looked confused, so Danny hurried to add, "I mean, no one even knows if they really exist."

Jack looked infinitely disappointed for a moment, then immediately brightened.

"You'll see, kids. Ghosts are real, and soon, you three will make great ghost hunters!"

The three friends glanced at one another and rolled their eyes, unaware of how true Jack Fenton's words would prove to be.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Yeah, first Author's note...I don't like to make people read my ramblings more than I have to. I know this seems to be going slowly, and I want it to go faster, but my writing skills aren't cooperating too well. I promise there will be a plot soon, not just nonsense! Thanks to everyone who's read so far :) **


	4. Ch 3 - The Ghostly Wonder

**Episode 3 - The Ghostly Wonder**

"You think I should do _what_ now?" Sam asked incredulously. She, Danny, and Tucker were seated at the booth in the Nasty Burger where they usually wasted their afternoons goofing off instead of doing homework. Sam was already irritated from her first full week as a 'half-ghost'. She had managed to avoid her parents for the majority of it, as they still insisted she was grounded and took every opportunity to lecture her. It had not been pleasant. The only reason she was sitting here now was because no amount of locked doors and windows could keep a determined teenager - that could move through walls - contained.

School had been even worse. She had spent nearly every biology class simply getting new equipment, as her hand had turned intangible five times, causing her to drop beakers, test tubes, and slides until the teacher had got so tired of cleaning up broken glass that he had told her to just observe the experiments instead, until this 'clumsiness phase' passed.

If that wasn't bad enough, in the locker rooms changing before gym, she had somehow managed to turn her shirt invisible just as she was trying to put it on, and had ended up getting it backwards. Paulina had, of course, chosen that moment to stop primping herself in her mirror to notice Sam struggling to get her shirt on right, and had made some nasty comments.

It had taken all of the goth girl's self control not to beat the smug smirk off the popular girl's face. Or better yet, turn her intangible and stuff her in a locker for once.

Just today, when she thought she'd finally been able to escape a full school day with her powers _not_ acting up, she had begun to turn intangible and sunk right through her chair, smack dab in the middle of her Algebra class. Luckily, only Dash Baxter sitting behind her had noticed, and he was too half asleep (and admittedly rather dim) to realize that she hadn't fallen out of her seat like she claimed, but rather fell _through_ it.

And here Danny was, after a week like that, coming up with the most ridiculous ideas ever! Danny had been very helpful in explaining to Sam what new abilities she could expect to manifest; one of the few benefits to being the son of two ghost hunters and on the reluctant receiving end of all their lectures on the 'horrible' things ghosts could do. Yet Sam had thought he was only trying to make things easier for her, not making a mental catalog of all her possible 'superpowers'!

"Well, it's just that you have these abilities, Sam, and I think that with a little practice you could learn to use them. I mean, you're already better at controlling them. Just think about it. Who else is going to stop the ghosts now that the portal is open?" Danny insisted, sticking to his guns despite the harsh glare Sam was shooting him. Tucker, who had seen that angry look on his friend's face far too often, knew better than to voice his opinion on the subject.

"Danny, I'm not about to go play the cliche superhero, especially when we don't even know what most of these ghosts want. Besides, your parents are the ghost-hunters. I'm sure if there's any real problems or evil ghosts they can handle it. It's their job!" Sam argued back, folding her arms.

Danny just snorted, "My _parents_? Maybe my mom could handle a ghost, but my dad can't even catch the mice that keep getting in the pantry!" He watched his friend a moment longer, but she didn't seem to want to budge.

Danny sighed, his voice softening,"Just...think about it, okay Sam? I don't mean you have to go all 'Bat-woman' or 'Ghostbusters', just...help people when they need it, like you helped us with those freaky ecto-pusses."

Sam stared down at the table to avoid having to look into her friend's pleading blue eyes. She knew from experience it was hard to convince Danny out of his righteous ideals. She kind of felt like it would have been better if _he_ had been the one with powers. She was sure he'd do a better job than she ever could.

Gloominess settled in her heart as she realized what the true problem was. It was not just reluctance to play some stereotypical heroin role, or even just concern for the ghosts themselves. Sam felt she _couldn't_ help anyone with her powers. Not when she knew so little about them herself, and was hardly even able to control them. It worried her, the power she could feel even now, subtly thrumming in her veins, a steady fire always burning in her chest.

Yet, deep down, Sam knew that despite all her misgivings it was the right thing to do. Guilt gripped her as she remembered that if it hadn't been for her own stupid curiosity, the portal never would have worked in the first place.

Or would it? Maybe Danny's parents would have managed to fix it anyway, despite her interference. Did that still make it her responsibility to fling herself into danger for people she didn't even know? To risk this power taking an even greater hold over her? Sam had a nagging feeling that it _was_ her responsibility, even if it wasn't all her fault, even if it cost some sacrifice. After all, if she was a paramedic or something and someone needed CPR, it would be wrong not to use her skills to help that person. Was this any different?

"Okay, I'll think about it." she reluctantly offered, ignoring the whoops that sounded from her two best friends, "Now can we talk about something else? I'm so sick of ghosts right now."

Danny smiled, and Sam had a feeling he knew what had been going through her head. Tucker, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to his other friend's mutual understanding. Instead, he dug into a Nasty burger with relish, oozing sauce everywhere.

Sam turned to her own soy-melt sandwich, no longer precisely hungry but intending to force down a few bites. She had barely raised the food to her mouth, however, when a familiar feeling blazed in her chest and a purple vapor escaped past her lips.

"Just great." She groaned, as the screams sounded around her.

Tucker chimed in, talking around a mouthful of burger, "Hey, your first chance to debut as the Ghostly Wonder!"

Sam shot him a look that made the techno-geek hastily shrink back into his seat and fear for the retribution that would follow his unwitting insult.

Before the goth girl could vent her frustration, however, a to-go box suddenly crash-landed in the middle of the table, covering the three teens with an explosion of french fries.

The three friends tossed their food aside and jolted to their feet, Sam already looking in the direction her inner sense told her the ghost must be.

Floating above the food counter was a short, chubby ghost in gray overalls with glowing blue skin. He was so engaged in emptying the 'Nasty Chicken-Bites' boxes of their contents that he didn't even seem to realize he was terrifying the humans around him.

"What do we do?" Tucker asked frantically, as everyone else in the building charged blindly for the exits.

"I don't know, I didn't bring the thermos with me!" Danny exclaimed anxiously, digging frantically in his backpack only to find half-completed homework and some pencils.

Sam gritted her teeth. It didn't seem like the ghost was really trying to hurt anyone, not at all like the ones they had encountered last week, but on the other hand the panic it caused was likely to get someone injured, if nothing but from them trampling each other to get out of the door. Danny's words rang in her head, and Sam felt she might regret this later. Still, she had to do _something_.

"Cover me, guys, I've got an idea." The goth girl requested determinedly, and promptly dove under the table. Danny and Tucker took a second to process what she was doing, then jumped to attention. They hurried to block the open end of the table from view as a flash of light came from behind their legs.

A second later and the white-haired, glowing version of their friend shot intangibly through the tabletop, stopping short in front of the strange ghost.

"Okay, whatever or whoever you are, you need to get out of here right now!" Sam commanded with more confidence than she felt.

The blue-skinned man jerked around, clutching his cardboard fast-food boxes to his chest as if they were gold.

"I am the Box Ghost! I have come to this Greasy-Food-Preparing establishment to claim all of their Quadrilateral Food-holding Devices for my ghostly terrorizing!" the ghost proclaimed in a highly exaggerated tone.

Sam completely deflated. She raised an eyebrow at the odd ghost and folded her arms, "_Boxes_? Really? That's your evil plot? I thought ghosts were suppose to be _frightening?_" she asked, dumbfounded. She glanced over to Danny and Tucker, who looked as confused as she felt. What was she supposed to do now? "Well, could you..um...take your boxes and go now?" she requested.

The self-proclaimed 'Box Ghost' looked around hesitantly, then seemed to decide he still had too many witnesses around to back down. He puffed out his chest and raised his arms, the boxes in his possession floating with his ghostly power, "Never! All the boxes in this realm will be mine! Beware!"

And with that, the chicken boxes soared toward Sam, who dodged them easily. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of the meat.

"Ugh, okay, I gave him a chance." She grumbled to herself. Focusing on the feel of her ghostly power, she decided to try something she'd been working on lately. She had gotten the idea from using the Fenton Thermos, and had been waiting for a chance to test it somewhere that wasn't her bedroom, where she had a tendency to catch her curtains on fire. This seemed like the best opportunity, especially given her easy opponent.

She put her hands forward, palms spread and facing the ghost, then concentrated on the tingling, jolting energy that seemed to hum through her veins. She forced it to the surface of her palms, and to her delight, two spheres of bright golden energy appeared. The force of the power was more than she had counted on, though, and it slipped from her control sooner than she had intended. The energy surged into a beam, shooting straight at the Box Ghost, who was too surprised to do anything. The power hit the unlucky ghost full force, sending him flying through the roof of the building. Sam blinked, staring at her hands.

"Woah, How did I do that?" she mumbled to herself, torn between astonishment that her idea had worked, and a little fear that it had worked almost too well.

She glanced around, noticing the few people still left in the restaurant gaping open-mouthed at her. Sam was never one to enjoy the spotlight, so before any of the confused citizens could question this _second_ ghost in their midst, she turned intangible, soaring through the roof.

Once she was free of the Nasty Burger, Sam let out a slow breath of relief, hovering in the clear afternoon sky and scanned the area for the 'Box Ghost'. He had apparently decided boxes were not worth getting his butt kicked, for there was no sign of the portly ghost. Satisfied, Sam dropped swiftly back to the ground, landing in the shadows behind some sour-smelling dumpsters and making sure no one was around before willing herself human again.

She stepped from the alley just as Danny and Tucker came around the corner.

"Sam! That was so cool!" Tucker shouted, unable to contain his excitement, punching a fist into the air.

Danny was almost as ecstatic as his friend, "You sent that ghost packing! I doubt he'll ever come around here again!"

Sam shook her head helplessly at their antics. "Boys are so easily amused." she said, with an attempt at her usual goth indifference, but could not help the smile that twitched her lips. It did feel kind of nice, in a way, to know that she'd had the power to stop the ghost. Not that she'd really protected anyone from anything more harmful than grease-covered cardboard, but the feeling remained.

"Hey, why don't we go back to my house to celebrate?" Danny asked brightly.

Sam gave him a wary look.

"Don't worry, my parents are staking out the park for ghosts until dinner. Besides, as long as you don't change in front of them they'll have no reason to think you're part ghost." Danny assured, waving off his friend's worry.

Sam was still not completely convinced, but she agreed on the grounds that she hardly wanted to go to _her_ house and deal with her parents at the moment.

* * *

Twenty minutes later and the three friends were settling in Danny's living room, getting ready to play some serious video games. Tucker had just hooked up the controllers and was starting the game when a sudden crash sounded from the basement lab. Sam groaned, "Please don't be a ghost, please don't be a ghost, please - "

A whisp of purple cut off her next words. "This is _already_ getting old." Sam grumbled as the three jumped to their feet. The goth girl flashed instantly into her ghostly form, phasing through the floor as Danny and Tucker darted for the stairs.

Sam reached the lab moments before the boys, and scoffed in disgust.

"_You_ again?" she practically growled in irritation, glaring at the Box Ghost.

The unfortunate ghost looked absolutely terrified at being caught by the girl who had so soundly defeated him. "Wait! Do not zap me with your golden rays of doom! I was trying to return to my lair of squareness within the Ghost Zone, but the doors of this non-cardboard gateway device have closed!" He begged frantically, pointing at the ghost portal.

Sam folded her arms, glaring skeptically at the ghost. Danny and Tucker, who had arrived in time to hear the ghost's plea, glanced at the portal, too. It _was_ shut for once. "Well, should we suck him up in the thermos or try and let him back into the ghost zone?" Sam asked Danny, completely at a loss.

Danny looked at the ghost's pitiful expression and shrugged. "I guess we might as well try and let him back in. After all, we'd just have to empty the thermos into the ghost zone later. And it is his home, there's no reason we should keep him from going back _in._"

Sam floated tentatively over to the door, staring at it nervously. The idea of trying to work the portal once more did _not_ suit well with her.

"How are we supposed to open it?" She asked Danny, while Tucker had made his way over to the lab's main computer.

"My dad says it just opens on its own, but I know there's also a control for it here somewhere." He said absently, poking around the array of equipment.

He picked up a likely looking remote, while Tucker began typing a few commands into the lab computer's mainframe. Sam still hovered by the portal, tense with the discomfort of being so close to it. She distracted herself by keeping an eye on the Box Ghost, who was now twitching like an addict in withdrawal while glancing between Sam and the stack of boxes filled with broken inventions in the corner.

Tucker sifted through some files until he found a likely looking one. "Got it!" he exclaimed as he executed the command. At the exact same time, Danny flipped a switch on the remote.

Suddenly, the portal sprang to life, the metal doors sliding open just as a blaring alarm sounded form overhead, the room suddenly bathed in a flashing red light. _"Warning, ecto-expunger activated. Evacuate immediate area. Expunging in 3..2...1.."_ No one had time to even process what was happening. As the countdown reached zero, a massive fan-like contraption lowered from the ceiling, creating a whirring vortex that started to blow everything containing ectoplasmic energy into the ghost portal.

Unfortunately, this included not only the Box Ghost and several broken ecto-pistols, but Sam as well. They were forced through the portal by the power of the vortex, Sam hardly managing to scream as the Box Ghost yelled, "Beware!" one final time.

Danny and Tucker both darted forward to help their friend, but as soon as both ghosts were through the portal, the alarm ceased and the doors slammed shut with a terrifying finality.

A cool computerized voice rang through the sudden silence, "_Ecto-expunging completed. Lab is secured._"

The boys could only stare in horror at one another.

* * *

**A/N: No, Sam's ghost name will not be the Ghostly Wonder. That is just Tucker being Tucker. I'm not even sure if I'm going to give her a specific name or not, as Sam doesn't seem the type to like cliches or labels. That's part of the reason I'm having her more reluctant to be a 'hero' than Danny. However, Sam's moral compass is just as centered as Danny's, as evidenced in the show when she is often the one to remind him not to abuse his powers. ****Also, things should get more interesting and less like a rambling rewrite from here. Thank you to those who have favorited/followed already: Invisible0one, ****KarinMaaka07, cool825, and panfan87, I appreciate the support!  
**


	5. Ch 4 - Into The Ghost Zone

**Episode 4 - Into The Ghost Zone**

Deep breaths slowly restored the air to Sam's lungs, but it moved with a sluggish, heavy coldness. Darkness pressed in on all sides, causing her to begin to panic until she realized her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. She opened them slowly, blinking away stars as she tried to make sense of why everything around her was glowing green. At last her memories caught up to her lethargic mind: the Box Ghost, in Danny's house, the three of them trying to open the portal, the sudden blaring of noise…the _portal!_

Sam whirled around as quickly as she could manage, but it seemed someone had turned off the gravity. The peculiar sensation disoriented her for a moment, but was nothing compared to the sinking feeling when she found the space behind her held only more endless emptiness, swirling with green vapor trails. There was no sign of the portal. Hoping that it was only missing because it was closed again, Sam swallowed nervously. For now, she was trapped in what could only be the Ghost Zone.

She glanced around warily, but there was no sign of the Box Ghost, or anyone else for that matter. She was surrounded by an infinite blackness, penetrated only by swirling masses of green and what had to be eerie floating _doors_. Sam tried not to panic. Other than the fact that she had no idea how to get back home, she could not help but feel a little curious about this strange world.

"After all, this was the whole reason I wanted to go into the portal in the first place." Sam mumbled to herself, having a sense that the saying 'be careful what you wish for' applied far too heavily to her life lately. Still, she had been eager to see the ghostly world, and now was her chance. She had no idea when the portal would open again, or even if it would. Maybe she would find a way back through one of these many doors?

With that hope in mind, Sam steered herself to the first doorway that looked appealing. It was an old french door with an arch and intricate stonework, its unique architecture naturally grabbing her interest. She pushed it open only to find _another_ swirling green portal behind it. Clearly the ghost zone was far larger than they could have ever imagined, especially if all of these doors led to a completely new place... In fact, Sam would not be surprised if the ghost zone was as large as the human world, or even bigger.

Sam glanced around nervously once more. She could wait here, where it was most likely the portal to the Fenton's basement would appear again, or she could try and find a way out on her own, and possibly explore some of the Ghost Zone in the process. Sam felt her curiosity tug insistently at her choices. She wasn't going to find anything out just by sitting around, and waiting to be rescued was _not_ Sam's style, so with some hesitation she floated into the new portal.

She found herself drifting once more in the ghostly atmosphere, high above what appeared to be an island, complete with a jungle and a volcano. She floated closer, hovering over the trees, marveling at how alike this place looked to a tropical island in the human world.

Suddenly, a squeal of fear pierced the eerie calm of the island, followed by the sound of something massive heavily crashing through the undergrowth.

Sam turned invisible on instinct, just as a large ghostly creature came stampeding into view. It looked to Sam like some kind of cross between a saber-toothed tiger and a rhino, as bright orange fur covered its body and head, transitioning into thick plated armor on its back and hoofed feet. Like everything else in this strange world, it was also glowing.

The girl flew lower, darting behind the cover of a particularly large tree slightly resembling a redwood, and watched the creature come to a stop, its sides heaving with the effort of its run, saliva frothing at its fanged mouth.

Before the creature could so much as catch its breath, however, a green rope shot from the shadowy undergrowth, ensnaring the beast's legs and causing it to come crashing to the ground with the force of a small earthquake. Sam lost her balance on the trembling ground and had to grip the branches of her hideout to keep from falling flat on her face. She looked up just in time to see a new ghost emerge from the bushes, the end of the rope connected to a mechanical arm. The entire body of the ghost appeared to be made of metal, all except for the mane of flaming blue hair streaming from its cybernetic skull.

Sam sucked in her breath, flattening herself further against the trunk of the tree as the robotic ghost stalked up to its fallen victim.

"Ha! No ghost can outrun Skulker, the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter!" the mechanical ghost declared victoriously, leering down at his prey, "Now your pelt will adorn my wall!"

At those words and the sight of the terrified animal writhing helplessly against its bonds, Sam felt her ire rise. To her, hunting was a completely unnecessary and barbaric pastime, especially if it was just for the sake of a trophy. Callous slaying of living things bothered her enough in the real world, she could hardly sit back and let this innocent animal be skinned right before her eyes - ghost or not. Especially not when this time she could actually do something about it.

Gathering her focus, Sam jumped from her hiding place, her invisibility dropping as she poured her energy and concentration into firing a ray of her ghostly golden energy straight at the mechanical ghost. The self-proclaimed 'Greatest Hunter' in the Ghost Zone was caught off guard, and was jettisoned back into the undergrowth, crashing heavily with the force of the beam.

Sam didn't wait to see how well her attack had worked. She didn't even care if it was stronger than she intended. She was already running to the fallen ghost-animal's side, pulling away the green rope that tangled its large hooves. The saber-toothed-rhino-tiger gave her a lick of appreciation with a massive green tongue - much to Sam's shock and discomfort - then darted away into the forest. Sam wiped the ghost-drool from her face, but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her mouth. She'd saved the creature's life…well…after-life; something she could never have done in the human world without these powers. Maybe there was something to this whole 'heroin' thing...

"How dare you interfere with my hunt, whelp!" An angry deep voice boomed behind her.

Sam felt her smile vanish. Almost unwillingly she turned around, eyes filling with dread at the sight that greeted her.

The ghost called 'Skulker' had returned practically unscathed from her attack. He would have looked comical, with bits of leaves and twigs clinging to his armor here and there, except he was also pointing a rather large gun right at Sam's face, and it was charging up a highly painful-looking blast.

* * *

Danny was the first to snap out of his shock at seeing one of his best friends thrown into the ghost zone. "Tucker, we have to get her out of there! How did we open the portal?" He asked helplessly, flipping all the switches on the remote in quick succession. Several alarms and computer programs jolted on and off with his actions, but the portal remained stubbornly closed.

Tucker, meanwhile, was trying to figure out what command he had used on the mainframe, but the previous one did not seemed to be working. "I don't know! Why is it always my job to figure out this stuff?" He grumbled to himself.

"Danny?" a voice called from the stairs, "Are you down in the lab again? Didn't mom and dad tell you not to go in there without them?"

Danny slapped a palm to his forehead, "Agh! Jazz is home! She _would_ have the worst timing ever!"

Tucker continued to press as many keys as he could, "Well, go distract her! I think I can figure out how to get the portal open if I have enough time."

Danny didn't hesitate to do as his techno-savy friend suggested. He darted up the stairs just as Jazz appeared in the doorway.

"Danny, what are you doing down there?" His older sister asked, eying her brother's panicked expression with concern.

"Uh, nothing Jazz. Just...homework!" Danny attempted to lie quickly.

Jazz folded her arms, clearly unconvinced. "Why aren't you working on it in your room?" she questioned suspiciously.

Danny groaned internally. There was no way Jazz was going to just let this drop, he knew his sister too well. He had to think of something to distract her - and fast. "Why are you asking so many questions?" he demanded, deciding to go the 'surly little brother' route.

Jazz rolled her eyes, then sighed as a serious expression took hold, "Look, Danny, I know something's going on with you. You've been acting weird for the past week - always hiding in your room with your friends, making weak excuses as to why you're out late…you can talk to me, you know. I'm your sister. _And_ I've studied psychology." She added, as if that mattered.

Danny glanced at his sisters blue-green eyes, shining with worry, and was for a moment sorely tempted to explain everything. Except, it wasn't his secret to tell. Luckily, Danny was saved having to invent a plausible problem to feed his sister by the sound of the front door bursting open with enough force to bounce in its jam.

"I know you're disappointed, Jack, but without the Fenton-finder working properly there's no way we could have known the ghost would show up at the Nasty Burger and not the park." Maddie's voice carried to the two teens, clearly attempting to console her distraught husband as the two ghost hunters walked through the door.

Jack Fenton growled as he stomped into the kitchen, "Then we should get it working right away!" Grabbing some fudge from the fridge for comfort, he continued to rant, "It's no use to us if all it can do is find _humans_! They're everywhere!"

Danny stood rooted to the spot, his parents' conversation unwittingly giving him all the help he could have needed. Forgetting about Jazz completely, Danny turned and darted back down the stairs as quickly as possible, leaving his stunned sister speechless in his wake. He could only hope Tucker had managed to get the portal working, for surely his parents would be down here in a matter of minutes.

He need not have worried, for Tucker lived up to his techno-geek label. The portal was swirling green and open once more, and the skilled techno-geek was standing hesitantly by it, with what looked like some kind of jet-pack strapped to his back.

Danny recognized it as one of his parents' many failed inventions. This one was supposed to use ghostly ecto-energy to give humans the ability to hover like ghosts. They had never been able to power it properly. However, he was too distracted to take the time to mention that to Tucker. He ran to the shelf containing the more recent works-in-progress, and grabbed a scanner-like device with a miniscule radar-dish attached.

Then, without any plan in mind or any idea what he was doing, Danny ran forward, grabbed Tucker, and dragged the two of them into the swirling green depths of the ghost portal, just as a red-haired figure reached the bottom of the basement stairs.

* * *

When their eyes had finished adjusting to the different lighting, the two boys could not help but gasp at the sight before them. The ghostly world was frighteningly different than their own, its atmosphere as dark and foreboding as either teen could have imagined. It was at once heavy and thick, the air stagnant and slightly hard to breathe, while also strangely empty with little resistance against their movements.

"Oh man, I bet Sam is _loving_ this place." Tucker commented, gazing around at the blackness that was signature of their gothic friend. Danny wasn't so sure that anyone would be all that happy about being _stuck _in a place like this.

"So…where is she?" Tucker asked, suddenly realizing there was no sign of their friend amidst the swirling green atmosphere.

Danny was more concerned about the fact that there was basically no gravity in this ghost world. He was floating aimlessly, and could hardly do more than flip himself right-way-up, let alone move anywhere to find Sam. He voiced as much, "More importantly, _how_ are we going to find her and get home when we can't even move here?" To his surprise, he heard a whirring mechanical sound come to life behind him. Rolling himself over as well as he could, he found Tucker flying towards him, the jet-pack device he had taken from the lab now fully functioning. He stopped next to Danny with a smirk, allowing his friend to grab hold.

"How did you get it to work?" Danny asked, amazed at his friend's skill with technology.

Tucker looked confused, "You mean it didn't already work?"

Danny frowned, "No, my parents couldn't get the power source strong enough to generate enough lift to actually get off the ground, especially since its powered by ectoplasmic energy."

Tucker shrugged, "Well, at least it works now. But we'd better hurry and get Sam and get out of here, just in case it decides to stop working."

Danny nodded in agreement. "One step ahead of you, Tuck. That's why I grabbed this." He held up the radar-device, "It's supposed to find ghosts, but I heard my dad say it's broken, and that they can only get it to find _people_ instead."

Tucker grinned, catching on, "Convenient, especially since we don't need it to find a ghost!"

Danny grinned as well, switching on the device. Immediately the radar began to scan, picking up two blips that were the two boys. After a few more seconds, the sweep picked up a faint, third blip far off to the right of the small screen.

"Looks like she's that way. Better get moving!" Danny pointed, feeling hopeful once more. Tucker activated the jet-pack and steered the two humans further into the darkness of the ghost zone.

* * *

Sam wasn't sure what was worse: the pain from the blast that Skulker had struck her with, or the fact that it had caused her to lose her concentration so badly that she reverted to her human self. The latter might not have been such a big deal, except that the ghost hunter had been ecstatic at finding a half-ghost hybrid literally lying at his feet. Sam had managed to change back into a ghost, but it had not stopped the deadly hunter from capturing her.

"You will make a fine addition to my collection, whelp! A creature such as you is rare beyond measure! And you are but a pup, as well...perhaps I could train you...then I could use your powers to capture even more prey!" Skulker mused aloud as he dragged his newfound 'trophy' along in one of his many green nets. Sam had tried to phase out of the trap unsuccessfully for quite a while, but it seemed immune to her ghost powers. Instead she was forced to let the ghost drag her along the forest floor, stifling her yelps of pain as each rock and branch battered her through the net. At Skulker's words, though, she renewed her struggles, disgusted by the hunter's imagery.

"I'm not some kind of pet, you sick animal-killer!" Sam shouted angrily, momentarily forgetting her precarious position, "And keeping anything locked up when its meant to be free is wrong! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Skulker looked back at his captured foe and raised a mechanical eyebrow. "You are quite an odd specimen indeed. You still have the gall to lecture _me_ - Skulker - the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter - when I have already defeated you?" He demanded, a mixture of annoyance and grudging respect in his tone.

"You didn't defeat me!" Sam practically growled, pushing at her bonds once more, "You just blasted me and stuffed me in a net! I didn't even get the chance to defend myself!"

Skulker shrugged, turning his attention away from the hybrid girl once more, "The element of surprise is the hunter's greatest tool. Besides, you are naive indeed if you believe all your enemies will fight you face to face."

Sam felt her anger rise all the more, "Yeah, well you're a - " but before she could finish, a high-pitched beeping suddenly cut across what would have been a rather juvenile insult.

Skulker stopped suddenly, checking the display readout on his forearm, "Dragon attacking?" He asked himself, looking perplexed. He scanned the surrounding area carefully, then frowned. "I do not see a drag- AAHHH!"

The hunter had hardly a second to register the sudden clasp of arm-length claws that wrapped around his mechanical body before he was lifted into the air. Sam, still encased in the net attached to the hunter's suit, was also hoisted into the air. She echoed her captor's scream of fear as the massive creature roared above them, its body covered in pale blue scales and blue smoke furling from its nostrils. Ghostly red eyes glared down at its prizes, while it bared menacing fangs longer than sam's arm that dripped with saliva.

"Did I hear you correctly, hunter? This creature is not just a ghost, but also a human female?" The dragon ghost demanded, taking Sam by surprise. She had not expected the fearsome creature to be able to speak at all, let alone to have a very feminine voice.

Skulker struggled against the dragon's hold, converting his other arm into a gun, intending to shoot himself free. The dragon seemed to expect this, however, and she bent her scaly head down in a swift bite.

Sam screamed and instinctively covered her head with her arms, seeing the large teeth heading right towards her.

It was Skulker, though, who yelled even louder.

Sam opened her eyes in time to see the dragon release its hold on the hunter, dropping him before he could properly aim his weapon, the beam flying wide. Yet he was unharmed, and oddly enough, Sam was not plummeting to her death despite being separated from the hunter's armor. She soon saw the reason: the dragon had not been aiming for her _or_ the ghostly huntsman, but rather the rope connecting her prison to the hunter's battle suit. The dragon's claws shifted as they reeled in their new catch, and now Sam found _she_ was the one being held in the massive talons, the net still preventing her from phasing free, while Skulker hurried to regain his flight and pursue the dragon. The determined hunter was not about to give up. He began rapidly firing at the dragon, his beams flying every direction as he chased furiously after his stolen prey. As the dragon whirled on the hunter, Sam could only hope that, somehow, she could make it out of this mess with whatever remained of her human life in tact. With painful blasts of energy streaking past her, followed by the retaliating flames that nearly missed her hair, Sam did not hold much hope.

The goth girl was never one to sit back and let others decide her fate, however, and this time was no exception. With both of her captors busy fighting, Sam was able to focus her energy more carefully, directing all the force she could muster into _breaking the net_. She felt the smoldering energy in her chest flare to life, growing into a fierce flame that seared through her veins. The energy seemed to take on a life of its own, with Sam struggling to keep her control from slipping. The white glow surrounding her ghostly body intensified, becoming brighter and brighter until it abruptly flashed a blinding gold. The dragon roared in pain and released the suddenly burning-hot burden in its claws, just as the last fragments of the net disintegrated into dust.

Sam knew her release had come at a price. She felt more drained than ever before, and was not surprised when the white-purple rings washed over her, reverting her back to normal as the fire subsided into a flicker in her heart. She _was_ surprised to find that she was suddenly _falling_ through what appeared to be thick gray clouds. She only had time to catch a brief glance of a dark castle looming into view before her weakened state caused a wave of dizziness to wash over her, followed by the sweet darkness of unconsciousness.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if the chapter breaks seem weird. When I write a story it tends to be all together, with breaks for scenes but not specific chapters. I'm trying to get each chapter to 'end' enough to make it distinct, but I don't know how that's turning out...So...yeah.  
And here's Skulker...be prepared for some familiar ghosts showing up soon. And maybe some that don't actually want to kill Sam...maybe. **


	6. Ch 5 - Bride to Be

**Episode 5 - Bride to Be...or Not**

"For the record, I blame you for this!" Tucker yelled breathlessly as he sprinted next to Danny, leaping over a fallen tree branch.

Danny panted out a sarcastic reply, "I was just following the radar! You were the one who wanted to stop here to go to the_ bathroom!_"

Sweat streamed from both of their brows, the little air they could draw through their rapid breaths too hot and humid to relieve them. Danny felt his muscles burning with lactic acid, begging him to stop. A snarl rumbled from behind them, and Danny forgot all thoughts of resting.

Snapping at the heels of the two frantic teenagers was a massive, furry, orange tiger-thing. From the brief glimpses of the creature Danny had gathered _before_ it had started chasing them, he had seen a muscular frame and long fangs of a saber-toothed tiger, but with heavy hooves and two menacing horns sprouting along the bridge of the ghost-animal's nose like some kind of genetic experiment gone wrong.

They had decided to take a break from their search and land for just a minute, Tucker insisting he could not go another mile without a pit-stop. Upon landing they had foolishly stored the jet-pack at the base of a tree on the strange island, Danny having decided that if Tucker was going to go, he might as well too. The technology-and-modern-convenience-loving geek had reluctantly gone off in the bushes to take care of business, while Danny ventured in the opposite direction, too busy marveling at the fact that on this isolated floating rock there seemed to be a full tropical habitat complete with atmosphere and gravity to really bother with anything else.

Tucker's shrill scream had alerted Danny to the trouble. After dashing through tangled undergrowth, tripping multiple times, and scratching his bare arms to no end - Danny had burst into a clearing to see Tucker crouched against a tree, whimpering in fear, and the giant beast looming over him. Without really thinking things through, Danny had grabbed the first thing at hand - a rock - and chucked it at the monster's head. Bad plan.

Now they were running for their lives, trying to avoid being eaten while searching for where they had left their only means of escaping the island. Danny, never the most graceful of his friends, stumbled on a root as it caught his toe. He toppled to the ground in a flail of limbs, somehow managing to trip Tucker along with him.

Tucker screamed in panic, throwing arms over his face while Danny cringed, his eyes tightly shut as he waited for fangs or hooves to end their short lives.

Instead of the gnashing of teeth or horrible roars, however, they heard only a frightened whimper. Danny opened his eyes in time to see the fearsome creature turning tail and running as if its own life depended on it back the way they had come.

Danny struggled to his feet, brushing off the worst of the dirt and leaves, his heart still pounding rapidly in his chest. "Huh, wonder what got into him?" He asked shakily, trying and failing to interject some humor into his trembling voice. He offered his hand to Tucker, who took it gratefully and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, his knees shaking.

The boy tried to resume some of his usual bravado, answering with an equally-shaky laugh, "It knew it couldn't mess with Tucker Foley! I would have made a rug out of that cat-thing!"

"Not if I make a rug out of you first, whelps!" A deep, menacing voice spoke from behind them.

The two teens whirled around only to find themselves face to face with another ghost, this one substituting fangs for mechanical armor and weapons, flaming green hair, and an expression that bypassed annoyed and went straight to full-on rage.

"Uh...hi. Was that your cat? Because if so, you really need to feed it more." Danny said sarcastically, then immediately wondered just what on earth caused him to be flippant with people that were about to beat him to a pulp. Tucker seemed to agree, because he shot his friend a shut-up-you're-making-it-worse glare.

The mechanical ghost was not amused. He raised an arm that quickly transformed into a thick-barreled gun, which shot a charged blast of energy at the two boys before they could even think about dodging.

Both teenagers yelled in fear for their lives, but soon found it wasn't necessary. The blast passed through them harmlessly, exploding through several thick-trunked trees behind them. As they glanced down in stunned disbelief at their unharmed bodies, the ghost swore in anger.

"Curses! More humans in my realm? How did they get here?" He ranted, firing several more useless blasts at the human teenagers. Several more trees suffered for his ill-temper, but Danny and Tucker were left unscathed.

Danny blinked, getting over his shock enough to catch what the ghost was saying, "More humans?" He wondered aloud, "That must mean Sam was here! Where is she? What did you do to her?" Danny demanded fiercely, forgetting he was facing a fearsome robotic ghost that had dangerous weapons in his worry for his friend.

The mechanical ghost growled at the young human's audacity. "You dare question me? I, Skulker - the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter - will not answer the questions of a pitiful human child!" He raged, raising his weapon again.

This time, Danny and Tucker stood their ground. Danny wasn't sure why, but for some reason the weapon didn't seem to have an effect on them.

"Where is Sam?" He shouted again, desperately wishing he had thought to bring some of his parent's ghost weapons with him. The Fenton-Finder shoved in his pocket was certainly not going to help them out of this one. He chanced a glance at Tucker, hoping the other boy was thinking of some way out of this while he distracted the ghost.

Danny was dumbfounded to see Tucker was for some insane reason tapping hurriedly away on his ever-present PDA.

"I assume you are speaking of that infernal ghost child? To think I lost such valuable prey to an out-dated, weakling, dragon-woman!" Skulker ranted, firing again at Danny even though the blast passed harmlessly through him. "And curse these weapons! I was not prepared to deal with _humans_ in the Ghost Zone! I do not have the proper equipment!" The ghost angrily converted his limb back into an arrm, "No matter, I will tear you apart with my bare hands!"

A sudden beeping interrupted Skulker's angry tirade, and he glanced absently to his forearm. "Time to..polish armor?" He questioned, confused. His suit reacted instantly to the command. From the depths of one of his shoulder plates a powerful buffer erupted, then began roughly 'polishing' the ghost's face. He cried out in fury, struggling to gain hold of his equipment.

Danny felt Tucker grab his arm and drag him back into a run.

"Hurry, while he's distracted!" the techno-geek insisted, pulling his bewildered friend along behind him.

"How did you do that?" Danny asked in shock, sprinting under his own power now.

Tucker grinned, replying between breaths, "I hacked into his operating system with my PDA! I don't know why a ghost needs high-tech armor, but I'm not complaining!"

The two rounded the corner of the path and to their immense relief the jet-pack was sitting innocently against a tree, right where they had left it. Tucker wasted no time in strapping it on - he just powered it up and activated the thrusters, clinging to one of the straps. Danny grabbed hold of the other just as the pack shot into the air, and the two were lifted clear of the tropical island. They heard a roar of rage from down below, but they were already well away from the ghostly hunter.

Tucker whooped in triumph, almost loosing his hold on the pack with the vigor of his celebrations. He paused when he noticed his friend's worried expression, "What's up, Danny? We got away, look happier!"

Danny shook his head, "Maybe _we_ did. But that ghost said Sam - at least, I think he meant her - was taken by a _dragon_. Don't dragons like..eat people?"

Tucker bit his lip, then checked the Fenton-finder, "Well, she's still showing up on the radar, so I think that means she's okay..for now at least." He added, now as worried as Danny.

"She has to be okay." Danny said in determined agreement, trying to persuade the dark, anxious feeling in his gut as much as he was Tucker.

* * *

When Sam at last woke up, she almost wished she could pass out again. She was dangling upside-down from one of the castle battlements - her foot tangled in a banner that was all that was keeping her from crashing down several dozen stories to a very solid-looking to ignore the dizzying view of trees like looked like nothing so much as heads of broccoli, Sam forced herself to concentrate and resume her ghost form. A feeble fizzle of purple-white sparks appeared at her waist before winking out of existence, leaving her as dangerously human as before.

"Great. What else could go wrong?" She grumbled, swinging from her precarious perch like a pendulum.

As if in answer to her words, an armored fist suddenly grabbed her ankle, roughly hauling her back over the battlements onto the stone floor of the tower. Sam winced, the hard landing aggravating the myriad of bruises she'd already collected in her adventures today. Not to mention her head was swimming as the blood rushed back up, not helped when she peered up into the black-helmeted face of her rescuer. A helmet that was also burning with purple fire. Sam found herself instantly regretting tempting fate.

"Trespasser! Humans are not permitted in the ghost zone, let alone in the Realm of Prince Aragon!" The flaming ghost-knight declared, drawing a glowing green sword from his hip and pointing it at Sam's nose.

The goth girl flinched at the sight of the weapon. It should not have been possible, but she had read enough supernatural novels at her favorite book store to recognize the ghost before her.

"You're the Fright Knight!" Sam couldn't help but exclaim, "I thought you were just a story…aren't you supposed to be in a pumpkin?"

The eyes - the only thing visible from under the helm - widened with shock, "There are not many ghosts that know of that weakness, let alone humans! You are too dangerous for me to allow you to live." Those same ghostly green eyes narrowed as he raised his glowing sword, no mercy evident in his fierce demeanor.

"Stop!" A feminine voice commanded in a rumbling roar, and to Sam's relief the Fright Knight paused, glancing up as the familiar blue dragon circled the tower.

"Princess Doratheya, what is the meaning of this? Did you bring this human here?" The Fright Knight accused, sounding strangely hurt, still holding his sword threateningly close to Sam's face. The girl wasn't sure what was worse, being stabbed with a weapon that supposedly made her live out her worst fears for eternity - or being eaten alive by a dragon.

Apparently, she wasn't going to be given a choice. The dragon flew closer, shrinking as it did so, its claws retracting, its tail receding, until it slowly transformed from a fire-breathing beast into a…woman in a dress?

Sam blinked a few times to be sure she hadn't suffered some kind of concussion. The no-longer-a-dragon ghost smoothed the wrinkles in her long gown, straightened a glowing amulet around her neck, and turned to glare at the ghostly knight as if she did this every day.

"I did bring her here, at my _brother's_ command. So unless you want to earn his enmity, you should release her. Besides, she isn't human, or at least not entirely, so you need not worry about breaking your oath." The woman raised an eyebrow at the knight when he failed to move, her expression clearly stating that it was an order, not a request.

The Fright Knight reluctantly sheathed his sword, and Sam let out a shaky breath of relief. Still, she could not help but glare at the flaming ghost for his manhandling, but he wasn't paying her any attention.

"Princess Dora, I must protest this. She is clearly human, you can hear her heart beat for yourself. It was your brother's own decree that prohibits them from his realm, and you know I must uphold my orders..."

The so-called princess rolled her eyes at the knight, approaching Sam cautiously now that the girl wasn't glowing anymore. "Yes, well my _dear_ brother has also decided he wishes to marry the most unique bride in the Ghost Zone. He had originally commanded me to find him a human bride, as because of that very decree there would be nothing like her in all of his kingdom. However, then I happened to discover this creature. A half-human, half-ghost would truly be the most unique, don't you think?" The dragon ghost finished, her tone ringing with a bitterness Sam missed, being too focused on the _human bride_ part.

The Fright Knight's face was hidden in the dark shadow beneath his helm, but his arms were folded in clear disapproval. He seemed to have a strong loyalty to the princess, however, for he gave her a short bow and said softly, "Forgive me, Princess. I did not know of your lord's commands. However, if the girl is half-ghost as you say, allow me to assist you in escorting her to your brother. Such a creature may be too dangerous for you to handle." He finished, and Sam could have sworn she heard a note of teasing in his otherwise emotionless tone.

The dragon princess glared, but a smile twitched the corner of her mouth, "As you wish, sir Knight. Follow me."

Already worried about where this whole situation was headed, Sam tried furiously to regain her ghost powers, but for some reason her attempt to break free from the dragon's claws had drained her far more than she had expected. Before she could really concentrate, the flaming knight had grabbed her roughly by the wrist and dragged her after the shape-shifting princess.

After what seemed to be an endless number of staircases (and several fruitless escape attempts on Sam's part) the trio reached a wide hall, decorated with dark medieval tapestries and looking as if it had not seen true sunlight in ages. This was not surprising, for what little light managed to penetrate the high, narrow windows was gray and dim. As much as her goth interest was piqued, Sam was too worried about her predicament to really enjoy the architecture. Especially since she had just caught sight of the figure sitting regally on an ancient stone throne, eyeing his visitors with an obnoxiously superior look on his face. He was dressed in medieval attire like his sibling, but his was tattered and unkempt. His ash-colored hair hung long and lank, topped with a spiked crown that glowed a subtle, sickly green. Red eyes shone maliciously from a sallow face of blue skin.

"Ah, my sister has returned...and, Fright Knight, my friend, this is a surprise." He greeted the two ghosts with a nod as he rose from his throne. The knight bent in a courtly bow while the princess curtsied regally, neither meeting their monarch's gaze directly. The human girl in their midst, however, stood straight and glared at the crowned ghost, despite the shiver that ran up her spine. This caused the prince to take notice of Sam for the first time. She did not like the way his eyes raked over her, their scrutiny making her feel as if she were some animal being bought at a fair.

"Dora, is this the bride you have found for me? Surely the humans have better to offer than..this." He said callously, frowning at his sister.

The words struck Sam like a heavy weight to her gut. She felt her blood boil as she tried to fight the humiliated blush that lit her cheeks. Being captured by Skulker, hauled through the air and dropped by a dragon, and then shoved around by the Fright Knight had soured Sam's already tense mood. Being insulted by this scrawny, blue-faced, stupid-looking ghost was too much for her. Her tolerance for guys with attitudes like this was never high, and with such limited patience Sam let her temper get the better of her. Without considering the foolishness of her actions, she glared fiercely at the arrogant ghost.

"I am _no one's_ bride, you stupid, pig-headed, jerk! You couldn't _pay_ me to marry some creep like you!" She shouted, gaining looks of shock from both the princess and the flaming knight. "And its not like you're much of a looker yourself!" she added, still feeling the sting of his insult.

The princess gasped, her hands over her mouth, while the Fright Knight could only look on in astonishment, his gaze flashing between this outspoken human girl and his lord.

The prince's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You dare speak that way to _me_ - Prince Aragon?" He growled, his tone soft and deadly. "No _woman_ is permitted to speak in such a way to her superiors; let alone some twig of a human girl dressed like a plebeian harlot, parading around my court with such shameless disrespect for my rule!"

The ghost's voice escalated into a raging roar, his eyes flashing into crimson slits, fangs erupting from his bared teeth, a pendant around his neck glowing ghostly green. Sam watched in sudden horror as the ghost transformed into a massive black dragon, larger than his sister and far more intimidating as he loomed above her, fangs bared.

The goth girl knew it was now or never for her ghost powers. If she failed again, she'd be dragon-chow and no one would ever even find the remains. She focused as hard as she could on the burning-cold flutter of power that remained nestled next to her heart, even when human. She pulled it to the surface with all her might, and felt her energy at last respond. The rings of blinding amethyst-white light flashed over her, invigorating her ghostly form with renewed energy. She grinned to herself, feeling the tingling sensation of her power at her fingertips, filling her with a glorious confidence and relief.

"I'll say whatever I want, especially to some chauvinistic creep like you!" Sam shouted boldly, her newly restored power giving her courage. She soared into the air, charging up twin globes of golden energy in her palms. She was delighted to find how much easier the action was getting each time she used it. Maybe Danny was right, and all she needed to control her powers was just some heavy practice.

The prince's dragon features somehow managed to look shocked for a moment, then pleased as a toothy, malicious grin spread across his maw, revealing an excellent array of long fangs. "You are both ghost _and_ human? Incredible! You did well sister, she will be a fine prize indeed!"

The princess had been watching the events unfold with shock and awe, but her expression grew dark at her brother's words. She turned her gaze to the ground to hide the conflicting emotions warring across her features. Only the Fright Knight noticed, but other than a curious glance her way, he said nothing. The Prince, on the other hand, could not have chosen worse words to incite the wrath of the ghost-girl before him.

"WHAT did you call me?!" Sam shouted, reaching a new level of fury, "I am not a PRIZE!"

The golden energy in her palms swelled with her growing anger, brightening until the spheres burned like miniature suns, their surface alive with molten heat and ready to explode.

Below the furious ghost-hybrid, the three medieval ghosts could not tear their gazes away from the girl's power as it surged with her anger. Even the stoic spirit of Halloween was a bit shaken by the power he sensed suddenly raging to life in the girl.

Sam didn't wait for the dragon ghost to reply. She was having a hard time keeping control over the energy in her hands, and frankly, after the prince's callous comments she hardly cared to try. With a final cry of rage she withdrew her trembling grip on her power, freeing the ghostly energy just as the dragon ghost sent a massive stream of fire towards her, suddenly registering that the blasts may be a danger to him.

The two forces collided with epic proportions, the power of their explosion sending mortar, stone, and all the ghosts - including Sam - flying. Some of the golden energy did managed to pierce through the fire, slamming into the dragon prince and knocking him senseless.

The Fright Knight was the first to regain his bearings in the dust and smoke swirling around him, astonished that the girl that had seemed so weak had managed to put such force behind her attack. A violent power like that would be difficult to harness for even the most experienced ghosts. To see it so raw and unbridled in the hands of a young hybrid…it was truly worrying. Yet the Knight hardly had the time to ponder this. He caught sight of the prince reverting back to his human form due to the power of the blast, clearly out of the fight for the moment. His loyalty unwavering despite his misgivings about the girl, the Fright Knight took up the challenge in place of his lord.

Luckily, Sam had also managed to recover, only slightly dizzy from being sent spinning through the air. She was relieved to see that she was still in ghost form, even after expending all that energy - much more energy than she had intended.

"I guess I'm getting better at this?" She questioned to herself, staring down at her smoking palms with mixed feelings...right before a purple blast struck her in the middle, knocking the wind out of her.

Sam reeled, clutching her stomach as she tried to regain her breath, barely managing to dodge the next blast sent her way by the Fright Knight.

The ghost girl knew no matter how well she may be getting used to her powers, she was still no match for the Knight. The legends she had read on him made the girl unsure if she would _ever_ be strong enough to match him. Not to mention there was still the matter of his sword...

That same sword, incidentally, that was swinging towards her in a violent arc as the Fright Knight charged forward on the heels of his last attack.

Sam threw herself out of the way, having a strong feeling that simply turning intangible would not be effective against the legendary blade. She ducked to the side, firing a beam of energy at the knight in an attempt to gain some breathing room. The shot was much less strong than her previous attack, and the ghostly knight deflected it with ease against the flat of his blade.

Now beginning to truly panic, the half-ghost girl dodged another swipe of the sword and put on a burst of speed, flying as fast as she could to gain some distance between herself and the fearsome knight.

It was no use. The flaming apparition was far faster than she was. He darted in front of her, blocking her intended escape route, and began forming a ball of purple fire in his hand. Sam turned intangible just in time to avoid being hit once more, but realized a second later that the blast had just been a ploy. Fright Knight's sword flashed through the air, intending to take Sam by surprise while she was busy countering his blast. It would have worked, too, had prince Aragon not unwisely chosen that moment to rejoin the fight, sending a careless blast of his own ghostly energy towards Sam. The beam was so wide it caught both the ghost-hybrid and the knight, flinging them apart.

Sam shook the threatening darkness from her head and tried to ignore the stinging pain from the blast, knowing she had to concentrate if she wanted to make it out of here alive. Or half-alive, at least. As much as she wanted to kick the egotistical dragon ghosts' butt one more time, Sam knew she wouldn't get another chance to escape.

She put all her remaining energy into her flight, heading upward to break free from the dark atmosphere that hung over the brooding castle. She could hear Prince Aragon's roar from below her, and saw a flash of purple soar past that indicated the Fright Knight had resumed the chase as well.

Sam forced herself to concentrate, to block out her growing fear. She willed herself to go faster with as much force as she could muster. To her surprise, her body obeyed and she shot through the dark clouds, once more entering the swirling green skies of the Ghost Zone. She glanced back to check on the proximity of her pursuers and noticed for the first time - she didn't have legs! The revelation almost shocked her out of her control, but she pushed away her fears. Having a ghostly tail seemed to allow her to fly faster, so for now she wouldn't worry about it. Escape was a bit more important, as she had also caught sight of the Fright Knight gaining on her, with the dragon prince not far behind.

Sam dodged another blast, this time flames, flying even faster. It was then that she noticed the doors floating around her once more and an idea struck her. She had gotten _into_ this mess by going through a door, why not out of it as well?

Sam wasted no time, flying to the closest door. She flung it open and darted inside, not even bothering to check where it led. It had to be better than where she was now.

As she slammed the door shut behind her, Sam looked around frantically. This portal had also taken her to a new part of the Ghost Zone. This area, unfortunately, was rather scarce of hiding places. In fact, the only things in sight were yet more doors - and a strange marble building with roman-style columns and large sculpted lions perched to either side of its wide doors. The place looked like a mix of a regal library and some renaissance museum, especially with its large red-glass dome on the roof and the decorative fresco covering the walls. Sam glanced around quickly, trying to catch her breath. She decide to go through another door, for how would the ghosts know which one she had picked? With this in mind, Sam hurriedly flew to a small red door and flung it open. Big mistake.

She found herself staring down the gaping maw of some giant worm-like creature that would have swallowed her whole had she stepped over the threshold. As it was, Sam barely had the time to slam it shut before the worm lunged at her.

The half-ghost girl felt her pulse pound in her ears with fright, a feat itself considering she was still in ghost-form. She knew the Fright Knight and dragon prince could not be far behind her. They must have seen her go through the door, which meant she only had seconds before they followed. Not wanting to risk getting eaten, Sam knew she had only one option. She flew quickly down to the library-like building and threw all her weight against the massive regal door. It opened just barely enough for her to slip inside. As she darted through the thin crack, what she found on the other side almost made her forget about the ghosts pursuing her.

The room she had entered was a wide, airy space, surprisingly bright considering its light came from the red dome and whatever poor illumination the ghost zone's swirling atmosphere provided. She supposed, like the dragon's castle and Skulker's island, this place had its own properties that made it different from the rest of the ghost zone. However, it was not the architecture of the room that had caught her full attention.

It was the books.

The semi-circle of walls were completely covered from floor to ceiling in shelves full of books. Sam had always enjoyed reading, and the special serenity that came with bookstores and libraries had been a powerful pull for a girl looking to find a quiet place to escape her overbearing parents.

Now she needed a place to escape something far worse. Sam could only hope they didn't follow her in here. Just in case, she glanced frantically around the room. There was another door across from her, but Sam felt she was already pushing her luck with doors. Instead, she noticed the balconies lining the circular room, and flew up onto the nearest one, so that anyone entering in the front door wouldn't be able to see her unless they looked straight up. She slipped into the shadows between the shelves, turning human for good measure since her ghost form seemed to have an ever-present whitish glow. Her dark clothes and hair, on the other hand, blended with the shadows - and not a moment too soon.

The door slammed open with the force of the blast the Fright Knight had used, the resounding rumble shaking the entire building. The flaming ghost floated into the room, followed by the prince, no longer in his dragon form, as that would not have fit through the entrance. Sam found herself wondering vaguely why they hadn't just phased through the door, but didn't have time to worry about it.

"What if she went through one of the other doors?" Aragon demanded in frustration. The Fright Knight, meanwhile, was searching the room, peering under tables and between shelves.

"All of the doors in this vicinity lead directly to another ghost's lair. If the half-ghost entered one of those, we can easily find her. I simply wish to eliminate all possibilities in their proper order." The Fright Knight responded tonelessly.

Prince Aragon snapped back, his eyes flashing red. "We must find her! A creature like that can not be allowed to leave my grasp, she is too valuable." The dragon growled, his expression dark and possessive. Sam stifled her anger at being treated like a prize and not person, and pushed herself further into the shadows.

"She is too dangerous to be allowed to roam the Ghost Zone and the human world." The knight said in response, not precisely agreeing with his prince.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" A polite voice suddenly cut across their conversation, just as yet another ghost stepped calmly from a shadowy alcove. From her vantage point Sam could see an open archway tucked into the wall, leading to a different part of the library.

The ghost that had spoken looked vastly different from any Sam had seen so far - except for perhaps the Box Ghost. He certainly didn't look menacing, dressed in a very human jacket and scarf. His dark hair was messy, kind of like Danny's, matching his long goatee, and he wore purple-framed glasses over glowing green eyes. If it weren't for his exceptionally pale skin, pointed ears, and the fact that he was glowing, Sam would not have known him for a ghost. She wondered how long he'd been standing there.

The knight whirled around, "Ghostwriter! My apologies, I did not know this was your realm." He said in genuine surprise, showing a strange amount of respect for the bespectacled ghost.

Prince Aragon, on the other hand, seemed to have only scorn for him. "You - ghost - have you seen a white-haired girl enter this place?" the prince demanded arrogantly.

The 'Ghostwriter' raised an eyebrow at the dragon prince's obvious rudeness, but remained cool. "There isn't anyone like that in here." he replied casually.

Aragon swore, smoke furling from his humanoid nose as he glared around the library once more. "And how do I know you are not lying to me, peasant? Perhaps I should burn away some of the clutter in here to be sure..."

The dark-haired ghost's green eyes flashed dangerously. "You will _not_ destroy any of my books." He responded, an obvious threat in his rough tone. Sam watched in astonishment as a circular computer keyboard suddenly materialized at his fingertips, the bespectacled ghost balancing tense fingers over the keys as if he were brandishing a sword.

This seemed to give the dragon ghost pause, although why it should bother him Sam could not understand. The Fright Knight, on the other hand, had backed all the way to the door, looking as if he were trying to put a fair distance between himself and the keyboard. His expression was wary and one hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

"I think you gentlemen have overstayed your welcome. If you don't leave now, I'll have to make you." The keyboard-wielding ghost stated, his tone cold.

Aragon looked ready to fight, his eyes flashing to their dragon state while his pendant glowed slightly. The Fright Knight cut in quickly before things could get out of hand.

"My lord, it is clear the girl is not here. We will find her in one of the other lairs, I am sure." He said confidently to the prince. Sam had a feeling he was just trying to get the dragon ghost out of there before something happened, but she couldn't figure out why the flaming knight was suddenly so cautious.

The dragon prince seemed to at last hear his knight's words. "Very well. Let us continue in our search." He declared haughtily, sweeping out the door as if it were his own idea. The Fright Knight followed quickly, with one last suspicious glance at the Ghostwriter, and the door swung firmly shut behind them.

Sam allowed herself a sigh of relief, the tension going out of her as she slumped against the bookshelf.

Her relief was short-lived, however, when the remaining ghost suddenly disappeared from below, reappearing by her shoulder, his voice betraying nothing as he asked, "Now, since I have covered for you, mind telling me who you are and why you have ghosts like the Fright Knight and the Prince pursuing you?"

Sam sucked in a breath, pushing herself further against the shelf and attempting to summon her ghost side. To her chagrin it once again failed, and Sam winced as she was forced to meet the calculating green gaze that looked a lot more menacing up close.

She hesitated for the barest second. This ghost had for some reason not ratted her out, even though he had to have known she was there the whole time. Although he may have some ulterior motive, that did not absolve Sam from owing him an explanation. He was also regarding her with a perfectly polite expression, not attempting to capture her or blast her or make her his wife. That in itself caused Sam to decide to trust him enough not to attack her the second she let her guard down. It seemed like friendly ghosts were a rare occurrence in the ghost zone, and she didn't want to make _another_ enemy today.

"It's kind of a long story." she offered vaguely, hoping the ghost would lose interest and just let her go. Unfortunately, just the opposite proved true.

"Excellent, I do love a good story." The ghost replied, smiling eagerly. "Would you like to sit? I imagine you are quite drained from your exploits." He continued, leading her down to the first floor, where a couple of comfortable couches stood around a coffee table. Sam found herself relenting despite her misgivings, for the couches _did_ look rather comfortable and she was exhausted from her flight. She settled herself onto a particularly soft armchair and sighed as she practically sank into the cushion. This was the kind of chair she'd love to have at home, perfect to curl up in on a rainy day with a really good book. Ghostwriter took a seat across from her, a smile flickering over his features as he watched the tired girl relax.

Sam took a deep breath, facing her unusual host and reluctantly began to explain all that had happened since she'd been inadvertently sucked into the ghostly world. The ghost listened patiently, not saying a word until Sam had finished her monologue.

"So, you are half-ghost, half-human? How is such a thing possible?" He asked curiously, his fingers twitching as if he itched to write out the story himself.

Sam was already tired of hearing herself talk, so she kept her explanation short. "My friend's parents are...inventors. They created a portal to this world, but it malfunctioned when I was inside it and somehow gave me these powers." She demonstrated by allowing herself to revert to her ghostly form. She had thought it best not to mention Danny's parent's true job-title, as she wasn't sure if telling a ghost she was friends with ghost hunters was a good idea.

Ghostwriter's green eyes widened at seeing the transformation up close. "I can see why the Fright Knight would be after you, he is bound to serve the royal family and protect their kingdom. If Prince Aragon commanded him to capture you, he would naturally serve his oath. It was not a wise choice to try and fight him." he commented worriedly.

Sam shrugged, "Well, since it was either that or find a pumpkin - which I don't really carry around in my pocket, you know - I didn't have much of a choice."

At these words, the Ghostwriter seemed even more astonished, if that were possible. "How do _you_ know about his weakness?" the ghost demanded, suddenly looking suspicious.

Sam shrugged, shifting uncomfortably in her seat despite its plushness. This was the second reaction of that type she had seen, and it confused her. "I read it in one of my books. That was before all this ghost stuff, though. I never thought any of it was _real_, just a pretty cool gothic Halloween story. It was just lying around in a bookstore, not really secret or anything."

The green-eyed ghost stood and began to pace, occasionally scrutinizing the girl before him with a look Sam couldn't place. "You must be a very dedicated scholar to get your hands on that book, girl." he said quietly, "Here, I'll show you."

Before Sam could ask what he was doing, the ghost floated to the top shelf of one of his many bookcases lining the walls. He browsed for moment before selecting a leather-bound tome that looked oddly familiar to Sam. He landed next to the girl once more, holding out the book for her inspection.

She read the title in astonishment: _Chronicles of the Fright Knight. _Just like her copy, there was no author listed, but this time something clicked into place.

"Wait...you wrote this? Then how did it end up in the human world?" Sam asked, trying to hide the slight giddiness that she felt at finally getting to meet one of her favorite supernatural authors.

Ghostwriter smiled mischievously, revealing ghostly fangs Sam had not expected, "That's a part of my powers. I can make anything I write become real, whether its written to become a book in the human plane, or written to become a _living_ story." He hinted cryptically.

Sam wasn't sure she fully understood, but now the Fright Knight's curious respect for the ghostwriter seemed to make more sense.

The ghost gave her a searching look once more, his hands flipping absently through the book with a comfortable familiarity.

"However, when I wrote the _Chronicles of the Fright Knight_, I added what I suppose you could say is a bit of a prerequisite. I included a provision so that only a particular type of mind could read my work, a level of perception of the supernatural (as you'd put it) that most humans - and even many ghosts - do not possess. It was intended to protect such sensitive knowledge, so in case my book here was destroyed, I had another copy safe in the human world."

Sam met Ghostwriter's gaze, and was surprised to find it held respect. To her chagrin she felt herself blush, aware that the ghost had complimented her. Somehow she had read this book long before she had any contact with the Fenton Portal or the ghostly world. Was it just her keen interest in anything abnormal, her drive to shun the ordinary - or something more? To distract herself from these unsettling questions, Sam instead chose to focus on the other part of the ghostwriter's words.

"Why would anyone destroy the book here? And why write a book about the Fright Knight in the first place?" she asked, perplexed.

The writer sighed, gently closing the book and replacing it in its proper home, silently considering his words. He seemed to be collecting his thoughts as he drifted from shelf to shelf. When he spoke, it was in a grim tone, "There was a time long ago, perhaps centuries by the human calendar, that the Ghost Zone was ruled by a king called Pariah Dark. He was not a very..how should I put this...'benevolent' leader. Instead he demanded servitude from all his subjects, and was exceptionally cruel to those he deemed worthy of punishment. Many innocent spirits were destroyed, thanks to him. His most infamous deed was attempting to start a war with the human world, intending to spread his rule there as well. Luckily, the Ancient Ghosts at last decided to step in to prevent the Ghost Zone _and_ the human world from falling apart entirely. They locked him in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep - an artifact almost as old as they are - and sealed away his power."

"For following the King so blindly and without question, they cursed the Fright Knight to be sealed inside a pumpkin - in mockery of his deeds in the human world. He was freed some time later by some foolish ghost or another, but as you know, he may always be vanquished in that way."

"I was forbidden from writing the full story of King Dark by his son, Prince Aragon. However, I felt some modicum of protection was needed in case the King some day escaped his prison. The prince is not much of a threat, as his powers are bound to his dragon form - another bit of insurance the Ancients granted for the rest of us so he will never be as powerful as his father." the ghostly writer finished, eyeing his quiet audience.

Sam ran a hand through her currently white hair, taking it all in. A mere week ago she had doubted even the existence of ghosts, let alone a ghostly world. Now she was not only speaking with a ghost _as a _ghost, but learning that they had an entire history and hierarchy, as complicated as any country in the human world. She had more questions in her head than she could keep straight.

"That's not likely, is it? I mean, this King escaping?" Sam asked hesitantly, imagining the havoc a ghost that powerful could unleash on the human world.

The ghostwriter looked away, pensively rearranging a few books on their shelf. Sam supposed the ghost was deciding whether or not to answer her, as the books appeared to be in order already.

Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with the weight of his fears, "There is a key to the sarcophagus. Or so legend tells us, at least. For some unknown reason the Ancient Ghosts did not destroy it, leaving a means of freeing the Ghost King if one possessed such insanity to do so."

Sam shuddered, trying to console herself with the thought that no one - human or ghost - would be _that_ stupid. To clear her worries she focused instead on one of her many other questions.

"What happened to the Ancient Ghosts? And how come a bunch of old ghosts had enough power to stop the Ghost King, anyway?"

Ghostwriter grinned, "It is no wonder you could read my work. You are very perceptive for one your age...and very curious. That can be a dangerous combination, you know."

Sam rolled her eyes, easily catching the hint of the ghost's teasing. "Yeah, I think I realized that already." She allowed herself to change form, back into a human, to emphasize her point. She also wasn't about to let the Ghostwriter change the subject.

"And the Ancient Ghosts?" she prompted.

The ghost sighed, floating back over to his seat. "Well, I suppose I might as well tell you...I've already said much more than I should to a part-human."

"You see, when the ghost zone first came into existence - don't ask me how, by the way, I've got no idea and more than a thousand theories - there were certain _entities_ that came to be at the same time. They're not 'gods', by any means, but our history says they were never human. Instead, they have always been 'ghosts,' or at least had ghostly powers and tendencies. However, these Ancient Ghosts also possessed unique abilities that no ghost has ever wielded. There have been many rumors of these powers: ghosts with the ability to see the truth through any lie, to move to any point in any universe, even control time itself...but only one such ability we know of as fact: to be untouchable by any other ghosts' powers. This was how the Ancient Ghosts were able to defeat Pariah Dark. He had no way to stop them. None of his attacks or those of any of his minions could touch them."

"As for what happened to them...no one is sure. They disappeared after Dark was sealed away, back to wherever they lurk until they are needed to restore balance between the worlds, I suppose. This isn't exactly common knowledge, however, although it isn't precisely a secret. I would still appreciate it if you did not mention this to many humans." Ghostwriter finished. He looked to his audience and smiled.

Sam was spellbound, hanging on to every word of the story. "Wow...to think the Ghost Zone has beings that could do all that… "

The implications left Sam stunned, as well as lost. How could creatures like these Ancient Ghosts even exist, when this world was supposed to be the 'afterlife' of their own? The tangle of thoughts threatened to distract Sam, but she caught Ghostwriter's questioning glance and realized she hadn't answered him fully.

"Don't worry, hardly anyone in my world even believes _ghosts_ are real, let alone some super-spirits or something. Even if I wrote a blog about it and published it on every website in the world, people wouldn't believe me." she assured him.

Ghostwriter gazed thoughtfully at the girl before him. "That may be true for now, but your existence might be the proof that changes that view." He replied softly.

Sam frowned at this thought. The way the ghost talked about it made her worry more than before about being discovered as half-ghost. She had been keeping it secret from everyone but Danny and Tucker more out of the fear of being locked up and experimented on - or worse, becoming some worldwide news story and the subject of media attention for the rest of her life. Now she had an entirely different worry.

What would happen if people knew for _certain_ that ghosts existed? Or that they could travel into their world? She was afraid more people would want to hunt and capture them, or experiment on them like the Fentons always seemed to rant about. Sam would never forgive herself if it was her fault ghosts like Ghostwriter were persecuted and treated like lab rats. In fact, she didn't even like how lab rats were treated!

"If that's the case, then I'll just have to make sure everyone knows ghosts deserve the same rights as a human being." She declared vehemently. The bright gleam in her eyes and her sure tone were enough to convince the ghostwriter she was sincere.

He offered a word of caution, "Be careful in how ardently you preach this, for the humans may not see you as one of their own due to your powers. You may believe us to be equal, but all humanity will see is another ghost defending its own kind."

Sam was about to reply when, out of nowhere, what appeared to be a cellphone whizzed through the air and sank through Ghostwriter's stomach.

Both the ghost and the goth girl blinked in surprise.

"Back off, ghost! If you hurt her, you'll be sorry!" A familiar voice yelled from the direction of the door.

Sam whirled around, stunned to see Danny and Tucker standing in rather rough defensive poses, Tucker holding another gadget like a grenade while Danny pointed some radar-device as if it were a bazooka.

Ghostwriter chuckled, "Friends of yours?"

Sam rolled her eyes, getting up from her comfy seat as she called to her 'rescuers', "Guys, its okay, you can stop with the hero-routine. I'm fine, and Ghostwriter isn't going to hurt me. How did you even find me?"

The two boys marginally relaxed, but Danny still eyed the ghost distrustfully. He held up the radar in his hands, "My parent's Fenton-finder. It's supposed to find ghosts, but it doesn't work right, and only finds humans. We used it to track you while Tucker used the jet-pack to make sure we didn't float off like balloons in this place." He finished with a grimace.

Tucker nodded in agreement, "Yeah, the gravity is so weird here. Sometimes we're floating around like we're in outer space, other times - like this place - we can walk around normal. Oh! Except we can walk through stuff, too, at least in some places. That's how we got in here. I tried to knock, and then my hand went through the door and - "

"Okay, I get it." Sam interrupted, before Tucker's nervous rambling got any worse. She turned to her new found ghost-friend and smiled,

"Looks like my ride's here. Thanks for all of your help, and for telling me some..stories." She finished, winking.

The ghostly writer smiled warmly."You are very welcome. It's always nice to have a good audience. Mind you don't forget the moral, of course." He added, returning the wink before abruptly vanishing in a swirl of gray.

"Woah, spooky!" Tucker commented intelligently.

Sam grinned in agreement, "Yeah, I need to learn how to do that..."

"Well until you do, do you think you can give us a ride back to the ghost portal? I think the jet-pack's kind of outta juice now." Danny said sheepishly.

Sam sighed, but couldn't keep away her smile as she transformed again, taking hold of both boy's hands as the three took flight for home.

* * *

**A/N: First off, I'd like to thank hellbreaker and shin obin for your reviews, I really appreciate the feedback! I'm not the type of author that requires reviews to keep writing, but it does help encourage me when I know someone's interested enough to comment. So don't be shy!  
I realize this chapter is kind of a beast in word-count, but I couldn't figure out a good spot to break it, so...uh..enjoy?  
Up next: ****Sam breaks the laws of physics, Tucker eats meatloaf and ruins some ear-drums, Danny puts on a show and kisses Sam.  
Wait...what was that last part? **


	7. Ch 6 - Center Stage

**Episode 6 - Center Stage **

Tapestries hung in smoldering wrecks, the threads of their lost majesty crumbling into piles of ash around the walls of the once-grand hall. Scorch marks scarred the polished stone where it wasn't already crumbling from the explosion that had shook the entire castle earlier that day. Part of the source of this recent destruction could be found pacing restlessly in front of his throne, the seat carved into intricate detail of twin dragons, smoke furling realistically from their nostrils. it was an accurate depiction of the creature that had only hours before laid waste to its own chambers.

Prince Aragon, however, was far too upset to consider the irony of this. He continue his irritated pacing, watched only by his loyal vassal, the Fright Knight.

"The ghostwriter must have aided her, there is no other explanation." The prince rumbled to himself, his arms crossed behind his back as a dark expression furrowed his brow.

The Fright Knight resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation. Normally a very detached ghost, the knight could not help but be annoyed on occasion by his lord's impulsive behavior. "She may have been hiding outside the lair, and slipped past us while we were occupied with Ghostwriter." The knight offered, knowing his words would be ignored regardless. As he had suspected, Aragon paid him no heed.

"She must be hiding in the human world, disguised as one among them. As if a creature like that could be called human!" The prince scoffed, turning another lap in his ceaseless loop.

"Indeed, her power is not what I would have expected from such a young human, regardless of her hybrid abilities." The Fright Knight commented, resigning himself to being merely a mirror for his lord's ranting.

"To think that such a thing exists! Neither human nor ghost, but a mix of each. I had heard the rumors, true, but no one has seen one such as her before. I had thought the stories were merely speculation…but now…" Aragon continued to ramble, his eyes following unseen phantoms as he continued his restless pacing. "I must haver her back." He finally concluded, at last coming to a halt.

Fright Knight gave his lord a wary look, "You still wish to…wed…such an abomination?" He asked, for once failing to monitor his tone. The disgust in his question was clearly evident, but the prince was too deeply absorbed in his own thoughts to take notice.

"No, such a creature is as you say, an abomination. However, I can not have that kind of power slip through my fingers! Imagine what one could do with such abilities…if I could harness the girl's strength, I could become an even greater ruler than my father." Aragon finished, his voice filled with the reverence and awe of his own dreams.

The Fright Knight shifted uncomfortably at his leader's words, but forced himself to keep his peace. He had been lucky not to be called out on his previous disrespect, but questioning the wisdom of such a declaration as this would be close to treason.

"How would you control such abilities?" The knight chose to ask instead, knowing it was safer ground.

The prince seemed to be considering this flaw in his plans as well, for he resumed his pacing once again.

"First, she must be brought into my custody. Once I have her here it will be a matter if she will serve me willingly, or as a prisoner. I believe my powers will be enough to…persuade her." He continued with a dark grin.

The Fright Knight continued to frown, seeing multiple issues with his lord's plan. He knew better than to question the prince's intelligence, but could not help but point out, "The girl is rather stubborn, my lord, and it is clear that - while she may not have much control of her abilities - her powers are dangerous when fully unleashed. Perhaps I may make a suggestion?" He asked tentatively.

The prince rounded on his knight, his expression brooding as his red eyes flashed. However, he did not lash out. Perhaps he saw some wisdom in the Fright Knight's words, for he nodded for the flaming ghost to continue.

"The girl will be much more malleable if she lacks free will. There are several ghosts with this capability that could be convinced to assist you..for a fee, I am sure." The knight finished.

Prince Aragon strode to his throne, running a hand over one of the dragon's precisely sculpted faces as he contemplated his allies words.

"I believe I know of one of the ghosts you speak of, and as distasteful as she is, I know her specific…talents…would suit my needs. However, I could hardly trust such a woman with the importance of this task…I would need someone to oversee her, ensure she did not try and betray me…"

The Fright Knight winced, knowing exactly who his lord was referring to. Of all the ghosts in his court, there were only a few that could venture into the human world relatively unnoticed.

"Knight, have Dora brought to me as soon as possible. I have a job for my sister." the Prince commanded, suddenly sweeping to his throne in his most royal manner.

The Fright Knight knew better than to disobey such a direct order. He bowed stiffly,

"Of course, my lord. I'll bring her immediately." Without any further ado, the knight floated from the room.

As he descended through the depths of the castle in search of the princess, he could not help but mull over his king's current scheme. The hybrid girl was indeed a powerful force, and dangerous to be left to run amok with such a shaky hold on her powers. However, the spirit of Halloween had his own misgivings of attempting to control such fierce energy. Better for the entire Ghost Zone that they snuff out the flame before it raged into an inferno.

These dark thoughts were broken when the knight finally arrived at his destination. The sight before him momentarily chased all the feelings of foreboding from his mind, leaving a rare serenity.

Pale light dappled the swath of well-manicured grass, lending a softness to the courtyard that no other place in the castle could manage. A small pond flashed like a perfectly oval mirror in the center of the garden, lined with tangles of cattails and lilies and vines of honeysuckle. The latter of these had managed to escape the vigilant gardener's purges, inching its way in a delicate network over a stone bench nestled comfortably at the water's edge. The princess was currently seated on this elegant ledge, gazing into the smooth surface of the pond with a look of intent contemplation on her pale features, her red eyes glazed with doubt.

The Fright Knight cleared his throat, standing awkwardly at the edge of the courtyard.

"Lady Dora, your brother requests your attendance in the throne room…" the knight began formally.

Dora jerked her head up at the sound of the knight's voice, the pleased smile that had flitted across her features at the sight of him instantly dispelled by the ghost's words.

"Ugh. Of course he does. What is it now, more ridiculous errands for me to run?" The dragon princess demanded, crossing her arms with a huff.

The Fright Knight shifted uncomfortably, suddenly wishing he were not the one to bring the news to the princess. She had been in a strange mood since the appearance of the hybrid girl, and had thus far kept to herself. Clearly, her brother's demands were beginning to wear on her as well.

"Something of that nature. He is planning to recapture the hybrid girl. He is insistent that her dangerous powers be harnessed for his own use." He waited for the princess' irate response, and was not disappointed.

Dora jumped to her feet, upsetting several loose stones that shattered the mirror-perfect surface of the pond. She stomped bitterly around the garden, her actions ironically mimicking her brother's unrestful pacing.

"Then he is a fool! He was _there_! He saw how she destroyed half the hall without even the slightest bit of fatigue! How, exactly, did my _dear_ brother say he was to possibly capture a girl like this, let alone control her?" the ghost woman ranted, throwing her hands up in exasperation and abandoning all pretense of formality.

The Fright Knight frowned at her actions, an expression almost entirely lost under his shadowed helm. "I believe he intends to enlist the aid of a ghost you are no doubt familiar with. She has the power to control a mind with her…for lack of a better term: 'talents'. He needs you as his agent to ensure her trustworthiness…however, I am sure he would rather explain all of this himself. I may be overstepping my bounds in revealing his plans." The knight added worriedly, more to himself than the princess.

Dora waved away his concerns, striding over to the knight. She sighed as she met his glowing gaze, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Aragon will not be dissuaded from this, or I am sure you would have already convinced him. I'll do as my brother commands, not that I have much choice…" she mumbled bitterly, then seemed to regain her composure, "If he only wishes me to be his eyes and ears, then I can manage that. However, if he expects me to take one step towards that hybrid girl, he can forget it. Let the great and powerful _man_ go against such a force, not send his servant girls to do his dirty work."

The Fright Knight could not help the chuckle that escaped him at the princess' brash words, especially at their ring of truth. He offered an armored forearm to the ghost woman, the mirth evident in his eyes, "I am sure if you phrased it so eloquently, the Prince would charge into the fray, fangs bared. If I may be so bold, however, it seems your delicate touch in these matters is much more effective."

Princess Dora accepted the knight's escort, grinning at his words. "I don't know why my brother needs my help in any of this, your skill with diplomacy is obviously enough to convince even the most stubborn women to follow your way."

If the flaming knight had any blood in his ghostly veins, he would have blushed at her words.

* * *

Danny could hardly believe half the things Sam had told Tucker and him when the three had finally made it back home. That itself had been a feat; Sam had to turn the three invisible and sneak them through the house so that they could come in by the front door properly.

After making thin excuses about being at the library to some worried parents and a very suspicious sister, the three of them had at last managed to escape to Danny's room with the pretense that they were finishing the homework they'd been working on. In reality, Danny and Tucker had listened to Sam's tales of her time in the ghost zone.

When she had mentioned how the so-called 'Prince Aragon' had wanted to _marry_ her...Danny had felt a weird mixture of disgust, over-protectiveness, and some other twisting emotion in his gut that he couldn't place. He had pushed it away, passing it off as anger towards how the ghost had treated his friend. That had been easy enough to do when Sam told them about the evil Ghost King and the Fright Knight, two beings Danny hoped Sam would not have to ever face again.

With these new revelations in mind, Danny found himself seriously considering learning more about his parent's ghost hunting inventions in the future - something he had been trying to avoid for fourteen years.

Sam, however, did not seem as concerned about the Fright Knight as she was about learning to control her powers. She was determined to master them, both to keep from blowing her secret in front of everyone, and to better stand up to the ghosts that had apparently discovered there was a way into the human world through Amity Park.

In addition, the determined goth girl wanted to do more research on this 'Pariah Dark' character, and see if there was any record in the human world on if he'd ever managed to gain a foothold here. Danny wasn't sure what the point of the research was, but he knew how Sam liked spooky stories and the like, so he was perfectly happy to spend a few hours that week blowing off homework and exploring the more supernatural titles in Sam's favorite bookstores.

It was this kind of 'research' that Danny found himself in a few days later, sprawled on his bed surrounded by dusty novels with yellowing pages and some arguably creepy contents.

Tucker was spending the evening with his parents (apparently it was Meatloaf Night, something the meat-loving geek would not miss for anything) leaving only Danny and Sam to sort through the dozen or so books she'd collected - half of them from some old lady's basement, of all places. Sam had snuck out invisibly once more, and did not seem worried about her parent's reactions to finding her breaking their grounding once again. When Danny voiced his concern, Sam had shrugged it off, "What could they possibly do to make me stay? Lock the door?"

To this, Danny had no response, so he let it go. Luckily Danny's own parents were too busy in the lab to take notice of either teen, and Jazz had been secluded in her room from the moment they'd got back from school. For a few precious hours, the teenagers had some time to themselves. And in Danny's opinion, they were spending it in the most boring way possible.

Danny flipped absently through a book titled The Hopeless Darkness: A Memoir, thinking instead of some cool training ideas he'd like Sam to try, when his thoughts were interrupted by the cheery ringtone of the cellphone he had finally convinced his parents to let him have.

Sam, sprawled on the floor with her nose buried in a particularly dense novel about medieval ghosts, didn't even flinch at the sound. Danny happily put aside the Memoir as he answered the call, grateful for the break from the dull book.

Tucker's voice blared from the earpiece, sounding extremely overexcited.

"_Danny! You have to hear this awesome song, RIGHT NOW!" _Tucker exclaimed, practically yelling through the phone.  
Danny winced, holding the phone a safe distance away from his ear.

"Uh..Tuck, I've never heard you so excited about a _song._ You okay?" he asked his friend in concern.

The techno-geek hardly seemed to register Danny's question.

"_Hey is Sam still there? Put it on speaker! She'll love this_!"

Danny sighed and decided to humor him, for his friend was clearly too riled up to listen to reason. He pressed the 'speaker' function, holding the phone as far away as possible.

A catchy pop-rock melody blared into the room, jolting Sam from her book.

_"Eeember, so warm and teender! You will remember my name!"_

Danny thought the song wouldn't have been _that_ bad, if Tucker hadn't been singing along in a terribly screechy, off-key tenor that drilled through his eardrums.

Sam clamped her hands over her ears,

"Make it stop!" She begged, glaring at Danny's phone.

The teen tried several times to yell over his friend's singing to get him to stop, but Tucker seemed to be in a world of his own. Finally Danny had no choice but to simply hang up on him to save both of their ears from bleeding.

When sweet silence was restored, Sam let out a breath of relief. "Remind me to kill Tucker later." She grumbled, rubbing her ears.

Danny was about to agree when the bedroom door burst suddenly open, nearly coming off its hinges.

"GHOST!" yelled Jack Fenton, his large orange frame abruptly crashing into the room. He was waving a massive glowing green gun around and wearing what looked like a combination of a headset and green earrings.

"There's a ghost in here, I know it! I heard its ghostly wailing!" The determined man ranted, dashing around Danny's room, poking his bazooka-like gun into the closet and under the bed.

Meanwhile he seemed oblivious to Danny's hasty attempt to hide all the supernatural books, or Sam's pale, shocked expression, as she slowly regained her breathing and circulation after almost having a heart attack. No doubt she had been frozen with the fear that Danny's father had somehow discovered her ghostly half. Danny, on the other hand, was too used to this situation to worry.

"Dad! It wasn't a ghost, it was just Tucker's singing. Which is probably enough to scare any ghosts away, really." Danny attempted to explain, seeing his father still determinedly searching high and low.

"You can never be too careful, Danny-boy. What are you reading there, something for school?" His dad asked, finally noticing the books Danny had not yet gotten a chance to hide.

"Oh, yeah..it's a...book report...on..." Danny cast his mind around for something that was _not_ ghost-related, "uh...bigfoot sightings!" he made up quickly. Jack frowned while Sam face-palmed behind his back.

"_Ghost_ bigfoot sightings?" The jumpsuit-wearing ghost hunter asked hopefully.

Danny shook his head. This was getting nowhere. He had no choice but to employ his least-favorite distraction tactic.

"No, sorry…. By the way, are those headphones some new invention?" He asked with forced curiosity, knowing he was now doomed to what would probably be a half-an-hour's worth of ranting about a new ghost weapon.

His dad's expression turned ecstatic, "Oh these babies? You bet! I call 'em the Fenton-phones. They're designed to filter out ghost-noise so no spooks can use any evil mind control on me! Although, your mother says she designed them to work so that if we ever finish the Specter-Speeder we can communicate without interference in the Ghost Zone - but I'd bet they'd work against mind control too!"

Danny decided it would be best to divert his dad's attention again before he got too into it.

"Oh, uh, cool. You know, I think I hear Mom calling. She might need you to taste-test some new cookies..." Danny trailed off, knowing he'd said the magic words.

His father immediately switched tracks, "Ah! I bet they're the double-fudge chunk I asked her to make!" He said gleefully, then took off the Fenton-phones and stuffed them on Danny's ears before the teen could so much as blink.

"Here Danny, to keep you safe from that ghostly wailing! Now, to get some cookies!" He hurried from the room at a speed astonishing for a man his size. As soon as he was gone, Danny glanced at Sam.

"Sorry about that. You know how my dad is..." Danny trailed off, hoping his friend didn't take offense. Sam seemed to have gotten over her initial shock, however, and instead she giggled, pointing to Danny's ears.

"Hey, it's fine. By the way, I like your new fashion statement. It's very techno-goth."

Danny blushed, grabbing the Fenton-phones off his ears and tossing them among the books. He covered his embarrassment by going for a change in topic.

"By the sound of it, Tucker hasn't really got anywhere with the online research. Maybe we should take a break for a while, too. I mean, we can always read books, but there's some training stuff I was thinking of..." Danny trailed off hopefully.

Sam looked up from her own book, rolling her eyes at Danny's pleading expression.

"Fine, we'll take a break and do some training for a while. But what can we do with your parents in the lab?" Sam asked, relenting.

Danny grinned, and began outlining his ideas to test Sam's new ghost ray energy. He had found himself wondering (daydreaming during class, really) if her ghostly energy could be manipulated into anything else - like a force-field of some kind or a shield. Sam seemed interested in the idea, which fueled Danny's creative energy. He talked about some of his other ideas -including arming himself and Tucker with some choice ghost-weapons - as the two packed up to leave. After a few minutes Sam shook her head, smiling in a slightly exasperated way. Danny noticed and stopped mid-sentence.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked blankly.

Sam shrugged, "Sometimes I feel like we'd all be better off if _you_ had been the one to get ghost powers."

* * *

A half-hour later, and the two teenagers had found a secluded area in the park, well hidden by a thick copse of trees, turning shadowy in the late-afternoon light.

Danny doubled duty of standing watch and browsing through yet another book, Sam having only agreed to training if he brought a few along to continue their research. It was clear Danny was more interested in the training, though, for he had just shoved a random load of books into his backpack and practically dragged Sam out the door.

Once well hidden, Sam transformed, then began willing her energy to cooperate. She knew Danny's idea should be feasible, she just had to figure out how to concentrate well enough to make it happen. She brought forth her energy, forming it into spheres in the palm of her hands. Sam let the energy flow for a moment, feeling its form more in her mind than physically.

She let her eyes close, focusing as fully as possible on turning that energy into a different shape, a different density. She wasn't even sure how energy could become more dense by the known laws of physics, but that was the only word her human mind could assign to it. She let layers of energy build on one another, slowly feeding the spheres while she also willed them to lengthen and flatten. Soon her patience began to pay off, for she chanced a glance at her work and found a roughly rectangular shaped wall of energy in front of her palms, turning her view of the darkening woods into bright gold through the transparent barrier.

"Wow, nice job!" Danny commented, enthralled by the process, the books lying forgotten on the ground. Sam smiled, then blinked at him,

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping watch?" She asked nervously.

Danny opened his mouth, but did not get a chance to reassure her. Instead, as if in answer to Sam's question, the sound of voices drifted through the evening air, alarmingly close by.

Danny gasped and glanced around frantically, "Sam! Change back!"

The girl hardly needed her friend's prompting. The purple-white rings had already flashed to life, temporarily blinding her as they began to revert Sam back to her human form.

She had not even fully transformed before she was suddenly tackled to the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her. She was just about to land a smart right hook to whoever had jumped her when - to her even greater surprise - she felt a pair of lips pressed gently against her own.

Sam was so shocked she could not even move, paralyzed by the warmth suddenly spreading through her.

"Eww, loser-love!" A voice shattered the frozen moment, causing the lips -_Danny's_! Sam realized with a numbing jolt - to abruptly disappear.

Sam blinked back to reality in time to see the disgusted expressions of Paulina, Valerie, and Star staring at them in equal amounts of shock and disgust, having just wandered obliviously into the clearing. Suddenly Sam was aware of the sound of more footsteps, and a number of other of their fellow students from Casper High filtered past them through the woods, taking no notice of the pair.

The goth girl could not wrap her head around anything for a moment, suddenly suspicious that this was all some sort of a bizarre dream, as nothing made any sense at all. Especially the part of Danny _kissing_ her. He was still leaning over her from where he had tackled her to the ground as she transformed, and his close proximity had her heart hammering. Danny wasn't looking at her, though, he was grinning sheepishly at the girls and stammering some random excuses until the disgusted popular crowd seemed to lose interest and stalk off.

This gave Sam's startled mind the time it needed to slowly return to normal speed once more. Reason filtered through the cloud of hazy emotions. Of course - Danny had knocked her over and used himself as a shield to keep her out of view while she transformed, coming up with the only plausible explanation for their situation.

"I call that a fake-out-make-out." He whispered with a strained chuckle as he finally released her and struggled to his feet, turning his attention to the crowd now moving past them through the woods.

"What in the world is going on?" He asked, staring bemusedly at the students. Sam got to her feet as well, insanely glad it was dark enough now to hide the crimson blush on her cheeks. She looked up at Danny's question and saw what her first half-glance had not caught. All of their classmates were dressed in various black outfits blazoned with white or blue flames, and the word 'Ember' stamped across them. Some kids even sported ridiculous hair pieces that looked as if they were supposed to be blue flames.

"Tucker?" Sam called in disbelief, recognizing one of the wearers of the stupid hair.

Their techno-friend broke from the crowd shuffling through the trees to run excitedly over to them.

He looked completely different from the boy they had seen only a few hours ago at school. Besides his unusual flaming headpiece, he was dressed in a black shirt with 'Ember' written across it, and had some decorative eyeliner that Sam would have teased him about for years to come if it weren't obvious that something seriously wrong was going on.

"Hey guys! I wasn't sure if you got my message, but you showed up! Are you ready for the best concert ever?!" He squealed in almost girlish delight.

Danny and Sam shared a worried glance.

"Uh, Tuck...what the heck are you wearing? And what concert?" Danny asked, sounding dazed.

Their friend blinked at them, clearly not understanding how they didn't know what he was talking about.

"Uh, duh: Ember McLean's midnight concert! It's an exclusive just for Amity Park's teens, like a secret-club thing! What are you guys doing out here if you weren't going to the concert?" He asked, and momentarily a look of disoriented confusion passed over his face, as if he were struggling to think clearly or figure out a particularly difficult math problem,

"Wait a sec..were you guys just making out?" He demanded.

Sam saw Danny blush as well this time, and felt a bit better that she wasn't the only one. Still, they needed to get to the bottom of this quickly, so she shoved her embarrassment aside.

"Tucker, stop being an idiot. Danny was covering for me so the entire school didn't figure out my secret. And speaking of the entire school...is _everyone_ going to this stupid concert? Just what is so great about this 'Ember' person and how did she get this popular this fast?" Sam argued, an uneasy feeling taking hold in her gut.

Tucker's troubled expression cleared with the mention of the singer's name and he sighed in exasperation, "Did you not get _any_ of my messages? I sent you the mp3's like twenty times! Ember is the best singer I've ever heard; her voice fills a void in my empty life...not to mention she's _hot_!"

Sam rolled her eyes, deciding to humor her friend if only to just get him to shut up. She looked to Danny, who's expression mirrored her own.

"My phone's in your backpack, could you grab it? We might as well listen to the stupid song and see what's _really_ going on here."

Danny obliged, pulling out Sam's phone. He noticed something else in his backpack, and retrieved that as well.

"Here you go….oh yeah, the Fenton-phones. I must've shoved them in here with the books. I hope my dad isn't looking for them..." Danny trailed off, examining the devices.

Sam shrugged, "Well, they'll work as headphones for now. I'd rather not blare this music all over the woods and draw even _more_ attention to the fact that we're in the middle of the park after-hours."

Danny tucked one of the devices into his ear, while Sam took the other. She had no sooner fixed it into place when out of blue, music _did_ start blaring through the woods.

"Ah! The concert is starting!" Tucker exclaimed, and before either of his friends could do so much as breathe he had grabbed them by the wrists and dragged them through the trees.

Before Sam could pull herself out of Tucker's overexcited grip, they had already arrived. Hundreds of teenagers were gathered before a stage lit with cool blue lights and covered in fake smoke. Sam was at a loss as to how all of the equipment and the stage itself had managed to get out into the middle of the woods, but she had more pressing problems. For one, Tucker had started singing along with the first song. For another, a purple wisp of vapor escaped Sam's mouth just as the lead singer took to the stage. She squinted through the flashing lights and fake-fog to the figure silhouetted on the stage and knew instantly what the source of her discomfort was.

"Danny..." she muttered in a low voice staring at the flaming-haired, pale-skinned, guitar-wielding pop star, "I think…._Ember_ is a ghost!"

* * *

Danny hardly needed Sam's exclamation or the sight of her purple ghost-sense to confirm what he had already guessed. The singer had _flaming hair_ for crying out loud! Sure, it could be a cool special-effect headpiece, except for the fact that the star was also glowing and hovering several inches off the stage.

He glanced to his best friend and saw that Tucker was completely oblivious to Sam's declaration, too busy head-banging and screeching at the top of his lungs. How did he not see it? In fact, why did everyone here not notice the completely obvious fact that their idol was not human? He glanced back to the stage as the audience began to chant _Ember_ over and over. At once, the singer's hair flamed even brighter.

Danny looked around for Sam, to ask her what she thought of this development, when he saw his friend fly past him, already in ghost form.

"Wait, Sam! The chanting makes her stronger!" He attempted to call, but the determined ghost girl was already streaking towards the stage.

Danny couldn't see or hear anything over crush of the hundreds of teenagers in front of him, so he couldn't be sure if Sam had confronted the ghost or not. Feeling the need to do something, he grabbed a senseless Tucker and dragged him towards the backstage sound area, hoping to find some way of cutting off the music, as it seemed to be driving the audience to cheer and further power the ghost.

He was only halfway there when he suddenly caught sight of a flash of red hair, and felt his jaw drop.

"Jazz?!" Danny yelled over the noise, completely nonplussed at the sight of his sister - his pushy, overbearing, always-responsible-adult sister - jumping up and down like a crazed fan-girl, screaming along with everyone else. Not to mention she was dressed head-to-toe in an outfit eerily similar to the ghostly pop-star's own.

"Jazz, what the heck are you doing here?" Danny demanded, grabbing the older girl's arm to get her attention.

Jazz whipped around, for a moment a vague expression all that could be seen on her features, hardly even recognizing her sibling. Then her turquoise eyes widened in shock, at last registering the fact that her little brother was in the midst of the concert.

"Danny! What are you doing out this late? Don't you know you're breaking curfew?" she demanded, the vague cloudiness vanishing, to be replaced by a very familiar stern expression that was signature Jazz.

Danny sighed in relief, for a moment wondering if his sister had been overshadowed or something.

"I know, but I came out here with Sam and then all these people showed up. What are _you_ doing here?" He demanded, hoping to throw the inquisitive older girl off track with her questions. He really didn't have a good excuse as to why he and Sam would be in the middle of the woods..alone…after dark.

He felt himself turning red again and forced the thoughts away. No, definitely not a _good_ excuse.

Jazz opened her mouth to give one of her usual self-justified replies, then closed it again, clearly confused.

"I…I'm not exactly sure. I mean, I guess I was going to this concert…but, I honestly have no idea why." She finished, putting a hand to her head as she struggled to remember.

"Because it's Ember's concert, duh!" Tucker suddenly chimed in, much to Danny's chagrin.

"Can it, Tuck. Can you really not see that Ember's a ghost?" He grumbled, quickly losing patience with his obsessed friend.

Jazz gaped at the two of them, jerking her head quickly to look at the stage.

"That's a…ghost? But they don't exist!" She insisted defiantly, but Danny could see the realization beginning to dawn on her face. His sister wasn't stupid. She might refute ideas that held no evidence, but when the facts were literally floating right in front of her face, she was smart enough to recognize the truth.

"Actually, that's two ghosts!" Tucker said happily as he pointed to the stage, still clearly unfazed by the fact that his idol was undead. At his words, Danny suddenly remembered why he had been trying so desperately to get up front.

"Oh no, Sam!" he exclaimed, hurriedly grabbing Tucker once more and pulling him towards the front of the crowd. Jazz followed them stubbornly, looking stunned that she had somehow been wrong.

"Where is Sam, anyway?" She asked, but Danny ignored her. They were almost to the front now, and he could see the telltale flashes of gold light that meant Sam had started the fight. The crowd cheered all the louder for the magnificent light show, clearly still oblivious.

Still, their eager crush to get closer to the action made Danny's path a little clearer, and he reached the backstage entrance faster than he hoped, the sounds of the battle ringing over the music.

Unfortunately, his way was blocked by a wall of muscle in the form of Dash and Quan, two people Danny really didn't want to deal with at the moment.

He tried to make a tactical retreat back into the audience, but found a burly arm encircling his neck before he got more than two steps.

Danny squirmed against the jock's hold, but knew it was useless. He had no choice but to allow his two over-muscled classmates to drag him and Tucker along. That is, until Jazz interfered.

"Dash, you better let my brother go _right now_!" the redhead demanded, striding in front of the jock with her arms outstretched, her eyes burning.

The blond glared at her arrogantly, "Or what, Fenton?"

Danny struggled against the choke-hold, gasping, "Jazz just go, don't worry.."

Jazz grinned dangerously, ignoring Danny's plea.

"Or I'll just have to tell the whole school about the _real_ reason you have to be tutored."

Dash visibly paled at this threat, his tone suddenly filled with dread, "You wouldn't…" He looked absolutely mortified.

"Try me." Jazz snarled in response, causing Quan to take a step back, glancing worriedly between his friend and the angry girl. His grip on Tucker was nearly nonexistent, but the techno-geek was too busy cheering with the crowd to take notice of anything going on around him.

At last, Dash released Danny, who stumbled away from him towards the stage. He massaged his throat as he ran, desperately trying to regain his breath.

"Danny, wait! Where are you going?" Jazz called from behind him, but Danny didn't have time to explain. Something was wrong…he couldn't see any more signs of the fight onstage, and the tempo of the music was winding down.

Danny reached the edge of the stage just as there was a break in the music.

"And now, my loyal fans, we'll be taking a short intermission!" The Rockstar ghost yelled over her mic, triumph ringing in her tone as she strolled casually offstage.

Danny looked up as the ghost came near, but panicked when he saw no sign of Sam.

"Where is Sam? What did you do to her?" Danny demanded of the ghost, standing boldly between her and the stage entrance.

Ember grinned darkly, "Oh, you mean your little wanna-be superheroin girlfriend? Please. I've got her tucked away to take with me back to the Ghost Zone. She wasn't even a challenge, she even brought along her own trap!"

The pop star raised a Fenton-thermos in one hand, shaking it gleefully.

"I don't get why Dragon-breath wants her so bad, but hey, I still get paid! Although I am curious as to why my powers didn't affect her. Or you, for that matter. They seem to work fine on your friend there." She gestured to Tucker, who was still hanging limply in Quan's grasp, practically having a heart attack at being so close to his new idol.

Danny only processed a fraction of her words. His heart had stopped when the ghost had mentioned bringing Sam back to a _dragon_! He knew it must be the same ghost she had encountered before, and now he had for some reason enlisted this ghost to capture her, all to keep her trapped forever in the ghost zone as his…wife.

"NO!" He shouted, forcing the well of emotions from his heart. He had to get to Sam, he had to free her before this stupid ghost put her in danger!

Danny cursed to himself that he had not thought to bring any ghost weapons along, and made a mental note to never leave the house without one. Still, he had to do _something!_

"No? I don't think you have a say in the matter, Baby-pop. In fact…" She snapped the thermos onto her belt, swinging her guitar into position, "I'm going to make sure you don't talk back to _me, _ ever again! Now that I've got a nice power-boost from the concert here, my guitar _will_ be able to control you!"

She raised a black-gloved hand as she twiddled the amp control on the guitar, ready to strike what Danny was sure would be a rough cord.

"Danny!" a familiar voice yelled in worry, as Jazz came darting towards the stage.

The sight of his sister gave Danny a sudden, gloriously terrible idea. Without warning, he turned and bolted suddenly towards the stage. The diva shrieked in anger, whirling around and aiming her guitar at the teen's fleeing back.

Blue waves of energy being belted from the ghost singer's guitar knocked Danny clean off his feet. He slid across the polished stage, rolling over painfully a few times and managing to knock over a microphone stand onto his head. His head spun dizzily as he desperately tried to get his bearings, noticing to his dismay that he had landed center-stage, directly in front of the crowd, most of which were staring at him as if wondering if this was part of the show.

Danny tried to ignore them and his rapidly pounding pulse as he struggled to take stock of his injuries. Other than a few bruises, though, the guitar's power still seemed ineffective at controlling him. Then he blinked, putting a hand to the ear that still held the Fenton-Phone.

"Oh, big 'Duh' there, Fenton!" Danny grumbled to himself, at last putting two and two together. Evil ghost singer with evil ghost guitar becomes supernaturally popular and no one seems to notice, except the two people who have headphones that _block ghostly mind control._

However, Danny didn't have another moment to dwell on his short-sightedness. He had to roll out of the way again as another blast headed his way from said evil ghost's guitar.

The force of his roll landed him next to the fallen microphone, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he would probably regret for this rest of his life, but it was the best chance he had to save Sam. He only hoped his theory was right.

"It's over, dipstick. If your ghost-girlfriend couldn't stop me, what chance do you think you have?" Ember taunted, striding confidently out on stage, her hair flaming higher with the renewed cheers that her appearance brought.

Danny got to his feet and faced the ghost with the only weapon he had…a microphone.

"I'd say a pretty good one, especially when you're about to be upstaged." He shot back, then did the only thing he could - he sang.

Terribly.

Normally, Danny wasn't all that bad of a singer. He knew he was at least better than Tucker. But average singing wasn't going to shock the crowd enough to break Ember's hold on them.

So instead, he belted out the most off-key, screechy, jumbled ensemble of lyrics to Ember's tune he could manage, imitating with high accuracy the singing talents of his best friend.

The reaction was instantaneous. Everyone had to suddenly clamp their hands over their ears, so distraught by the awful sound that the ghost's hold on them shattered.

Ember screamed in rage, seeing what Danny had done, and attempted to fire another volley of ghostly energy at him.

Nothing happened. Her guitar sparked feebly and the flaming ponytail she had once sported flickered briefly, then fizzled out.

"No!" she screeched, facing the audience, "Say my name! Say it!" She begged helplessly.

The crowd could only stare at her blankly, no longer under the pop-star's control, most of them wondering how they had even got there in the first place. The ghost apparently could not handle being so blatantly ignored. She fell to her knees and twitched, too shocked to even attempt to escape.

Danny dropped the mic in relief as Tucker came hurrying up.

"Dude, Ember is a ghost!" The techno-geek shouted, whether as a question or a statement Danny couldn't tell.

"Yeah, and she was trying to capture Sam. How did you get free of Dash and Quan?" he asked as an afterthought.

Tucker looked sheepish.

"Well, they kinda had their hands full using their phones to record your…performance and upload it to the internet."

Danny put a hand over his face and groaned while his friend patted him on the shoulder, attempting to reassure him.

"Don't worry, you'll get a date in college."

Danny glared, then turned his attention back to the defeated ghost. He quickly unclipped the thermos, using it on the ghost before turning to his friend.

"Tucker, can you distract Jazz while I go find a safe place to get Sam out? I don't want her asking more questions than she will already." Danny said wearily, glancing towards the backstage area.

Tucker sobered instantly, nodding to his best friend. "One distraction, coming right up."

He darted off to intercept the redhead, who was already trying to get through the crowd to her brother. Danny took the opportunity to slip behind the heavy curtains, hitting the 'release' button on the thermos.

Instantly, a flare of blue light erupted from the opening, spilling over to form two figures. Danny hastily re-captured the Pop-star ghost, who was luckily still too weak to even notice her brief freedom.

There was only one problem. The other girl that had been released from the thermos was entirely human, entirely Sam, and also completely unconscious.

Danny's blue eyes widened in fear, dropping immediately to his friend's side. Relief washed over him as he saw the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Sam? Can you hear me?" He asked worriedly, shaking her gently.

In response the girl's eyes blinked open blearily, but it was clear she was far from recovered.

"Danny?" she mumbled, barely audible. "I think….I overdid it."

Her friend chuckled, slipping his arms under hers in support.

"Yeah, maybe a little bit. Don't worry though, Tucker and I will get you back home safe." He assured her, catching sight of the techno-geek returning.

Sam smiled weakly, her voice trailing off, "I know you will.."

Tucker arrived in time to help Danny lift their passed-out friend, and they started to carry her out of the woods.

"Is Jazz still around? I think we might have to tell her enough to get to her to give us a ride, I don't know if we can carry Sam all the way home." Danny mentioned, already struggling a little under the goth girl's unconscious weight. He vowed to start working out more after this, in addition to carrying around ghost weapons. He looked up when Tucker failed to answer him and froze. His friend was staring behind Danny with a look of pure terror.

With worries of ghosts attacking immediately springing to mind, Danny jerked his head around so quickly it cricked his neck. What he saw was so much worse.

Behind them flashed the lights of a dozen police cruisers, silhouetting a veritable army of angry parents and authority figures that were systematically rounding up the teenagers spilling from the woods.

"_Sammykins!"_ A voice shrieked deafeningly, just as a part of arms pulled the unconscious girl from Danny's grip. He winced as the figures of Sam's parents towered over them.

"What have you done to our baby!" Sam's mother wailed, attempting to wake her daughter even as she struggled to hold her semi-conscious body up.

"Uh…we…I mean, she was just…like that when we got here?" Tucker offered weakly. Sam's father glared furiously at the two boys.

"Why weren't you with her?" He demanded, the worry and anger in his tone causing the teens to shrink with guilt. Just when Danny thought things couldn't get worse, the sound of his father's booming tone proved him sorely wrong.

"Now, Thurston, you can't put all the blame on my son!" He rumbled, coming to stand behind Danny.

The man grimaced at Jack Fenton's usual nickname and turned his fury on the father instead. "I'll blame him all I want! He's been nothing but a bad influence on my daughter from day one; what with all your family's spooky ghost obsessions poisoning her mind, getting her involved in all this dark, rebellious teen nonsense!" Both men stood red-faced and breathing heavily, clearly about to transition from a verbal fight to a more physical altercation.

Tucker's parents chose that moment to show up, his father attempting to break the tension in the worst way possible, "Now, it's fine to point fingers, gentlemen - as long as no one's pointing them at my son - but - "

"Enough! We'll do more than point fingers. From now on Sam will have nothing to do with either of your families!" Pam Manson interrupted, still clutching her daughter for dear life. Sam was barely awake, still having trouble standing on her own.

"Mom…what? Danny and Tucker….they're not…" she mumbled, but her protests were drowned by further arguments.

Danny, meanwhile, stood speechless in the midst of the fighting. Tucker had slunk away to find Jazz, hoping to avoid his own parent's wrath. Danny, however, could hardly care less about the adult's conversation. He was watching Sam worriedly, and noticed her energy flagging even more.

"Just stop it already!" He finally shouted, taking everyone by surprise, including himself. He swallowed nervously as all attention turned to him, including the furious glares of the Mansons.

"Can't you argue about this later? I think Sam really should go home and rest." He offered meekly.

The Mansons continued to shoot him fiery death-glares, but seemed to see the wisdom in his words. Sam's father scooped her up gently and they headed for their car. Danny could only let himself be ushered away as well, hardly hearing his parents' scolding as he watched the limo carrying the Mansons speed hastily away. He knew Sam was strong and that she'd be fine, but he could not completely soothe the worry weighing down his heart.

* * *

Standing unnoticed amidst the crowd of scolding parents and chastised teenagers, a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes watched critically at the scene playing out before her. She absently rubbed the glowing ring on her right hand, shifting from foot to foot in indecision.

The ghost-girl was weak, now, she could see that. Ember had done quite the number on her in their little fight. Dora had watched the battle from the crowd, following her brother's orders that she make sure Ember successfully captured the girl, and more importantly, that she turned her over to the dragon princess. Yet just as Dora had been making her way to the stage to collect the ghost-girl, a teenage boy had been sent spinning onto the stage, and proceeded to emit the most horrifying noises she had ever heard.

Yet the boy had been very clever with this ploy, as the princess soon realized he caused Ember to lose her control over the audience and thus lost the source of her powers. Not that they had been particularly effective against the boy, which puzzled the dragon ghost. Ember's power was supposed to control the minds of any who heard her music, among other things. Yet this boy was immune, and indeed the ghost girl had not shown any signs of being affected either. That was hardly the most pressing of her worries, however. She had seen the boy capture Ember using the same device that held the ghost-girl, and had walked away with it! In the midst of the suddenly restless crowd, the dragon ghost had lost sight of the boy until much outside of the forest, she had caught sight of him once again, but the ghost-girl was free now, and back in her human form.

Dora crept closer, at first not paying the parents much mind, her focus solely on capturing the girl. Now that she was so weak, Dora didn't fear her power, and feared far more the wrath of her brother should this plan fail. Yet just as she was about to spring from the crown and seize the girl, a large man in an orange jumpsuit got in her way.

Ordinarily, such a man would have only slowed her down, but then she noticed the weapon swinging in his fist, matched equally by his wife, standing at his side. In an instant, the Dora recognized something than any ghost can - a ghost _hunter_. There was no mistaking the deadly green glow of those weapons, or the tingling energy they gave off. The dragon ghost shrank back into the crowd, listening to the families' argument more carefully this time.

From what she could deduce, the jumpsuit-clad couple were indeed ghost hunters, and the parents of the boy who had so easily defeated Ember, which explained his strange containment device. However, it was the words of the ghost-girl's parents that gave Dora pause. Their restrictive behavior - the controlling way they sought to dictate their daughter's life to the smallest detail - it brought a stinging familiarity deep within the dragon princess' core. She stood on the fringes of the crowd and watched as the parents took their daughter away, knowing she was passing up the perfect chance to capture the girl. Even so, she could not bring herself to move. All her life - or afterlife, she supposed, as she couldn't really remember being alive - Aragon had been the one to make her choices, to dictate how she was supposed to act and who she was permitted to associate with. Aragon was the one who ordered her on this fool's errand, to implement a plan she had disagreed with from the beginning. Aragon was the one who wanted this girl so badly, and she would be damned if she would do his dirty work for him any longer.

She turned away from the scene and stalked off into the woods, allowing herself to transform into her dragon form once more. With a few mighty strokes of her wings she was airborn and heading back to the natural portal she had come through. She would bring the news to her brother, and grit her teeth when he took his temper out on her. She was bound to her duties and would do as she was told, but there was one thing Dora vowed in that moment. She would not help Aragon capture this girl - dangerous hybrid or not. She would not be party to stripping someone else of their freedom to live, not when she so desperately craved her own.

* * *

**A/N: So, I ended up rewriting this chapter almost entirely, mostly because the original felt like a really crappy filler episode. I also added the bits with Dora and FK, and felt better about how it flowed into the plot. I was wondering, though...I change my perspective alot when writing as I like to show things from different character's POVs, but does that bother anybody? Or is it unclear at all who's thoughts are being expressed? I don't want to confuse anyone...  
**

**Reviews: Thanks hellbreaker! I agree that Ghostwriter is a complete douche to Danny in that episode. My reasoning for his kinder attitude toward Sam is that she shares his compassion for books (which the guy is clearly obsessed with) and got off on a much better foot with him. I think he would behave just as badly if anyone messes with his books, however, hence his attitude toward Aragon.  
Also, Thanks again to everyone who is taking the time to read this!**

**Up Next: We find out how the fight _really _ went, Sam's parents come up with a horrible plan to keep their daughter in line, Jazz get's in everyone's business and...oh yeah, everyone's favorite halfa villain finally makes an appearance.  
**


	8. Ch 7 - Friends or Foes

**Episode 7 - Friends or Foes**

Sam clutched her skull as the shrill ring of the school's lunch bell echoed through the halls of Casper high. Every other student in the room immediately bolted to their feet, their voices rising with the excitement of a brief period of rest between classes. The goth girl moved much more slowly, wincing as aching, tired muscles stretched after an hour of sitting still. Most of her classmates didn't notice, too engrossed in their gossip and thoughts of what they'd like for lunch today - if they even would have cared at all. This hardly bothered her, however, for the only sympathy she needed would come from her two best friends, who were currently waiting worriedly outside the classroom.

As soon as Sam stepped through the door she was showered with questions, causing her headache to throb insistently.  
"Hold on - " she grumbled, holding up a hand to stop the sudden interrogation, "Food first, questions second." Another stab of pain assaulted her head and she pressed a palm to her eyes, "Scratch that, _Aspirin_ second, questions third."

Surprisingly, it was the nosocomephobic Tucker that produced the pain killers from somewhere in the depth of his technology-filled backpack. Sam accepted them gratefully, but not without a raised eyebrow. Tucker shrugged.  
"You try staring at screens for up to twelve hours at time and not getting a headache," he responded in defense as the three continued their walk to the lunchroom.

"Why are you staring at a screen for that long anyway?" Danny questioned, smirking at his friend, "Up all night reading the specs for the latest model of your PDA? Or playing Doomed?"

For some reason Tucker looked sheepish, avoiding Danny's question as he held the lunchroom door open for his friends.

A riot of noise showered the three when they entered, and Sam clutched her temples.  
"Ugh, is it just me, or is it especially noisy in here today?" she grumbled, then stopped as the sound in the room finally resolved itself into something coherent.  
Laughter.  
And not the genial, joke-between-friends kind of laughter, but the sickly, humiliating, mocking laughter that usually meant someone's reputation was about to be torn to shreds.

"Hey its _Fenturd_! Going to put on a live show for us?" Dash Baxter's signature teasing tone rang across the crowd. It was followed by several other insulting comments, just as poorly-conceived as the jock's.

"Stick to showers, loser!"

"Going to try out for American Idol next, Fenton?"

"Yo- you sound worse than my grandma's cat when I have to give it a bath!"

The last comment garnered some strange looks from the crowd, which caused its issuer to slouch uncomfortably and slip away into the anonymous bulk.

Sam looked to Danny and Tucker, utterly lost.  
"Did I miss something?" she demanded, following the now bright-red Danny and a very guilty looking Tucker to their usual table.

Still blushing furiously, Danny shook his head and sank into his seat, pulling out his lunch. He looked as if he wished he could climb into the brown paper bag and disappear. Sam rounded on Tucker, having a feeling the techo-geek knew something of this.  
"Why is everyone cracking awful singing jokes at Danny?" she paused a moment, "In fact, why does anyone know what Danny sings like at all?"

Before Tucker could respond, Quan sauntered up and threw an amiable arm around the techo-geek's shoulder.  
"Man, I thought seeing it in person was funny before, but that re-mix you made, Foley, that was even better!" The oblivious football player held up his expensive phone, a video playing on its glossy screen. Sam caught sight of Ember's stage - and almost panicked before she realized it was Danny on the screen, not her ghost form.

Correction - it was Danny, and he was singing as terribly as Tucker, while apparently dressed in an Ember outfit and riding a llama. Sam could tell from the quality that the ensemble had been edited in later, but there was no denying the voice was Danny's.

As Quan chuckled heartily and walked away, Tucker found himself the object of two furious stares.

"Why would you go and make it worse, Tuck?" Danny demanded angrily, clearly feeling betrayed.

Tucker shrugged meekly, "I was just messing around! I don't know how they all got it, I only sent it to a few of my Doomed friends. Besides, they taped the original anyway."

Sam ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Could someone please explain to me why Danny is suddenly internet-famous?"

Danny sighed, still clearly trying to fight his embarrassment.  
"I had to do something to break Ember's hypnosis -or whatever she was doing - on everyone so that she couldn't waste me with her guitar and take you back to the evil dragon-ghost-guy!" He ranted, just as yet another person walked by, giggling loudly.

"Ember was hypnotizing everyone…wow..how did I miss that?" Sam mumbled to herself, sharing in her friend's misery. In a way, Sam was glad for the distraction of Danny's humiliation (if not for the cause) as it kept her from dwelling on her own pathetic fight with Ember, and the resulting repercussions from her parents. Unfortunately for her, Danny was desperate for a change in subject, and she had just given him an opening.

"Yeah, although she couldn't control me or you because of the Fenton-phones. What happened in your fight, anyway?" He questioned worriedly, "I couldn't get close enough to see, and by the time Tucker and I could get you out of the thermos you were passed out."

Sam put her head in her hands, her homemade salad still sitting untouched before her.  
"I screwed up, to put it lightly." She groaned, rubbing her temples, "At first things were going well: we exchanged some witty banter - or at least, she called me out-dated juvenile names like 'baby-pop' and I told her that her songs were as cliche as her outfit - then it got kind of messy…" Sam trailed off as she recalled the fight, her muscles aching at the memory.

_"Why aren't my power's affecting you?" The flame-haired ghost demanded, clearly becoming more frustrated with each attack. Sam hovered above the stage, panting for breath. _

_The ghost had sent wave after wave of purple energy at her from the guitar, but so far what she hadn't managed to dodge had merely shoved her around. She would be sore tomorrow, but other than that it didn't seem the ghost was that strong. _

_"Maybe because I don't listen to crappy, over-synthesized mainstream music!" Sam shot back, her come-backs suffering from her own growing fatigue. She didn't understand it. She'd only fired off a few blasts of ecto-energy, nothing that should make her _this _tired. Sam didn't know what the ghostly pop-star was trying to accomplish, but at this rate the beams from her guitar would be enough to knock her senseless soon enough. But if she had a way to block the beams…._

_Sam grinned to herself, opening her palms and focusing as she had done earlier that evening. As the gold energy sprang to life in her hands, she pulled at it in the same way she had done before, shaping the ectoplasm-charged balls into a flatter, solid shield. _

_For a moment, it seemed to have worked. A rectangle of gold light blocked enough of her body that the next volley of Ember's notes were deflected away from her, shattering the top of the stage on their way into the sky. _

_Sam grinned, thinking she'd make another joke at the ghostly diva's expense, when something slipped. _

_A flare of unexpected energy surged through her veins, flooding into the makeshift shield without any conscious direction on her part. Her palms burned with the effort of holding that much more power, and Sam knew she couldn't keep control much longer. She tried to force it back, to gain some kind of grip on the wild force, but it was as if a dam had burst. The more she attempted to get control, the harder it was._

_The energy quickly became too much; Sam's feeble shield flared into a sudden blazing mass above the stage, writhing like a ball of molten rock. Both she and Ember stared at in in fear as the power completely slipped Sam's control. _

_"Are you crazy? That thing could take us both out!" The ghostly musician screeched in panic, quickly twisting the dial on her guitar to another symbol. Sam watched in horror, a warning on her lips as the pop-star struck a chord and sent a green wave of power at the mass._

_The instant the two energies met the world seemed to freeze for the barest second - before a concussion of air and sound slammed into Sam milliseconds before the actual explosion. The force of the loosed energy was far less than Sam had expected, however, and she realized Ember's attack must have dampened it somehow. _

_Even so, the ghost girl was jettisoned to the ground with the force, smashing painfully into the concrete._

_Sam found herself in a newly made crater, dust clogging her lungs and every bone aching. She could only be glad that her ghost form seemed more durable, for such a fall would surely have broken a fragile human body. Even so, her energy was spent. She was hardly holding on to her ghost form as it was; she could feel the tingling energy struggling to recede. Darkness was pressing in around her eyes, but a sharp pain in her shoulder brought her awake. Something metal was digging into her back, and she managed to roll just enough to move it. The smooth, round edge of the Fenton-thermos found her hand, surprising her in its durability. She hardly had time to worry over this, however, because Ember was floating over the crater looking venomous. _

_"It's too bad dragon-breath wants you alive, or I'd make you pay for that little stunt, baby-cakes!" she growled, readying her guitar once again. "Lucky for me he didn't say you couldn't be beat to a pulp first!" _

_Sam reacted instinctively, using the last bit of strength she could muster to activate the thermos and point it at Ember, just as the ghost struck another chord on her guitar. _

_The diva was faster to the draw. The waves from her guitar knocked the activated thermos out of Sam's grasp, the soup container with its blue ghost-capturing beam spinning free - spinning around to capture the only other ghost in the vicinity. _

_Sam saw only a blinding flash of blue before everything went dark. _

"You sucked yourself into the thermos?" Tucker asked incredulously, chuckling around his cheese-steak sandwich.

Sam glowered at him. "_That's_ what you get out of all that? Really?"

"What? It's not as funny as Danny's one-hit-wonder, but it's still pretty funny." He replied with a shrug.

"Tucker, I could have blown everybody at that concert to smithereens! Including you and Danny!" Sam exclaimed desperately, unable to avoid some of the worry that had been plaguing her all day.

"I don't know, Sam, I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you think. Ember seemed pretty dramatic. Maybe she was exaggerating?" Danny offered.

The goth girl shook her head, staring at her wilting salad as if it held the answers. Neither of her friends seemed to understand what was truly bothering her. She'd had her ghost powers for only two weeks and already had put her friends in danger. She'd been practicing, but it seemed the more she used her powers, the more potent they became. Sam worried that she wasn't learning how to control them fast enough to keep up with the damage they could do, and it scared her.

"I just wish there was someone who could teach me how to do all this the right way so that I don't blow anyone up!" Sam blurted out suddenly.

Danny set aside his own lunch, frowning thoughtfully. "Maybe you could ask a ghost…like Ghostwriter!" he suggested enthusiastically.

"I don't think that will work, Danny. Ghostwriter seemed to have powers really different from Sam. What could he teach her? How to type faster?" Tucker commented sarcastically, wiggling his fingers as if on an invisible keyboard.

Danny folded his arms. "Who else? It's not like there's other half-ghosts running around that could help her. It wouldn't hurt to ask."

Sam picked up her spork, poking absently at some lettuce.  
"One problem with that, guys. Ghostwriter lives past Aragon's castle in the Ghost Zone, and there's no way I'm going to be able to get through there if he's trying to capture me." she pointed out with a sigh.

Danny slumped in defeat.  
"Oh, yeah. I didn't think about that. But hey, look on the bright side: you're still getting practice with your powers by fighting off the ghosts in Amity - and you're keeping people safe!" He said, flashing her a supportive grin. Sam groaned, abandoning any attempt to eat her lunch. She lost her appetite completely as she remembered the _other_ reason she was upset today.

"Well, Amity Park will have to fend for itself this weekend. My parents kind of freaked out about the whole sneaking-out-to-a-concert-and-passing-out thing. Not only are they trying to get a restraining order against you, Danny, but they are forcing me to go with them on their business trip because they don't trust me to stay in the house when they're gone." Sam forced out, shooting an apologetic glance at her friend's hurt expression. She couldn't tell if he was more upset about the restraining order or that their hometown would be undefended for a weekend. Not that she was doing much good so far, anyway.

"A business trip? That sounds like cruel and unusual punishment." Tucker stated, shaking his head sadly. "I tried to go with my dad to one of those once…I ended up sitting in a hotel room for ten hours with the worst internet connection ever! It was torture!"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Well, its a good thing you're not going, because it's being hosted by this weird eccentric billionaire out in no-where, Wisconsin. I doubt the guy even has a T.V., let alone an internet connection." she replied, becoming more miserable with the reminder.

"Yikes….." Tucker winced in sympathy, then brightened with a new idea, "Hey, Danny and I could probably fight the ghosts for a weekend! I mean, with all his parent's equipment we could totally turn ourselves into the perfect ghost-fighting duo."

Sam snorted with laughter, imagining the two boys running around in Fenton-style jumpsuits yelling things like 'suffering spooks!'  
"Oh yeah, I'm sure that would turn out great." she replied sarcastically.

Tucker folded his arms, looking annoyed that his idea had been shot down so quickly.  
"It's not like we could do any worse a job than you have!" he snapped back. A second later the techo-geek seemed to realize what he said, cringing at his own words and the defeated look on his friend's face.

"Sam…I didn't mean it like that…I'm sorry…" he attempted to apologize, looking around to Danny for backup.

Danny, however, seemed to have tuned out the entire conversation up until that point, turning to Sam with worried eyes, "Your parents couldn't _really_ get a restraining order, right? I mean, is that even legal?"

"Considering its my parents, they probably could." Sam admitted. She saw Danny's face fall and hurried to reassure him, "But even if they did, it wouldn't stop me from hanging out with you." She took another breath, fighting off her own insecurities, and continued, "Tucker's right, too. You guys could keep any ghosts out while I'm gone. I think it would be a good idea if you learned how to use all your parent's stuff, especially since, you know, I'm not very good at this yet."

Both boys looked relieved, and Sam forced herself to smile weakly in encouragement. What she did not tell them, however, is that she was beginning to wonder if they might have to use the Fenton's equipment on _her_ someday.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two would-be ghost hunters, they were soon going to be put to the test. In the depths of the Ghost Zone a crowd of specters were gathered, hovering around a peculiar poster plastered onto the side of a rock face, one of many now decorating all the popular areas of the Zone. The varied ghosts were all gossiping with one another, chattering over the latest development in the strange politics of their realm.

"What makes _her_ so special anyway? She's not even that pretty!" The ghost of what appeared to be an '80s era young woman complained to her biker-styled boyfriend, who was studying the poster with interest.

"I don't know, Kitten, but check out that reward - the Prince will give whoever can bring the girl to him whatever they want, as long as it's in his power." The biker ghost read off, sounding awed. His girlfriend scanned the sign as well, then scoffed.

"So what? Its not like he's got anything you'd want, Johnny. Not to mention Aragon's a slime ball, he'd probably just throw you in the dungeon instead. It sounds like a waste of time to me." she grumbled, as yet another ghost shoved into her roughly in an attempt to get closer to read the poster.

Johnny seemed to disagree, as a determined expression stole over his pockmarked features.  
"I dunno, I've heard rumors about what he's got in that castle. Like a personal portal to the human world!" The biker grinned, his eyes glazing over with the prospect. Kitty huffed impatiently, grabbing her boyfriend's arm and leading him away from the growing crowd.

The couple bumped shoulders with another ghost as they attempted to extract themselves from all of those looking to find the source of the commotion. Kitty mumbled a short apology over her shoulder as she continued to steer her boyfriend away. The ghost - a green-skinned woman with a mohawk of black spikes and a provocative black leather outfit - merely turned a vacant stare on the two before floating on. Kitty shivered.

"C'mon, Johnny. These kinds of things draw all the weirdos out. Let's go back home." She insisted, hurrying to her boyfriend's motorcycle. Johnny stared after the other ghost, "She wasn't that weird…kinda hot, actually." He mused aloud, to the detriment of his well-being, as now his short-tempered girlfriend was fuming.

"Ah, oops. I didn't mean it like that, Kitten, really!" The biker amended, but his battle was already lost. His girlfriend flew off in a storm of rage, forcing Johnny to jump on his bike and pursue her, apologizing profusely.

The spike haired woman seemed completely oblivious to the lover's quarrel she had caused, instead turning her vacant red eyes to the poster. She absorbed the information with a scrutiny that seemed in contradiction with her vague demeanor; then whirled away, her task completed. The other ghosts edged away from her nervously, instinctively sensing something _off_ about this fellow creature. The only one among the gathering who didn't seem to notice or care was a metal-suited, flame-haired male ghost glaring at the poster as if it had done him a personal injustice. Which, in fact, the subject of that poster had.

"Curse those infernal dragons! Now the entire Ghost Zone will be after my prey!" Skulker growled angrily, his green eyes blazing. "Aragon must know of her true value, otherwise he'd never offer such a ridiculous reward! No matter, I am the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter! I will simply have to capture the whelp before any of these amateurs even has a chance…" The hunter ranted to himself, storming through the crowd and scattering ghosts left to right until he was directly in front of the sign. He raised a metallic arm and a gun popped from his suit, firing a beam directly at the image of a white-haired girl with glowing golden eyes. The poster crumbled to ash with the shot, leaving behind a smoking dent in the rock wall.

Still growling in ill-temper, Skulker stormed his way back through the now-frightened crowd, spreading his wings and taking to the air once he was clear. "I will find you, ghost-child, and then I'll have your pelt for my collection!" He raged to the empty sky, flying off in a cloud of wounded pride.

After that display the rest of the ghosts began to disperse, now chattering not only about the strange girl and her worth to Aragon, but also about the hunter's childish behavior. Hovering invisible above this mass of rumor-mongering, a fifth ghost floated in curious speculation.

He hardly cared about the petty nuances of Ghost Zone politics, and would have continued past the crowd without a pause had he not heard the hunter's vehement ranting. His curiosity piqued, the ghost had floated closer, just in time to see the image that had everyone so interested - before the hunter blasted it to bits. He found himself curious despite his usual detachment from other ghosts of the realm. It was strange indeed that a ghost with as much power and influence as Aragon would go to such lengths to obtain a single, weak-looking girl.

Yet this ghost was the last to pass up a chance to increase his own considerable power, and the opportunity Aragon had so graciously presented was one he could not help but take advantage of. With half-formed plans already churning to life in the cogs of his brain, the invisible spectator took his leave, heading back to his own unique lair to continue his plotting.

* * *

Thursday afternoon found Danny and Tucker sequestered in Danny's room with a pile of 'borrowed' ghost weapons sprawled all over the floor. Some of the devices were already in pieces, their parts scattered in a messy sort of order as the resident techo-geek indulged in his favorite hobby. Tucker was in his element, enthusing over each and every component with such energy and fanaticism that Danny now understood why his friend was single. Not that he was in any place to talk, however.

"Uh..Tuck?" the blue-eyed teen asked tentatively, picking up a partially dismantled ecto-gun, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

The mechanically-savvy teen didn't answer right away, distracted by the pair of Fenton-phones he was systematically tearing apart.

"Tucker?" Danny asked again, worried that his friend was taking Sam's suggestion a little too seriously.

"Of course I do. Your parents weapons are awesome, but they aren't exactly designed for stealth. We can't go lugging around backpacks full of guns - especially not in school. I'm just making some modifications." He answered finally, his fingers seeming to move with a mind of their own.

Danny sighed, resigning himself to wait until his friend finished his tinkering. They'd been at this since they got home from school - or at least, Tucker had. Danny had snuck the requested items from the lab throughout the week, only taking a few at a time to remain inconspicuous. Most of what he'd gathered were inventions his parents felt did not work well enough - or at all - for them to devote any more time to them. That proved to be about all Danny could do to contribute to their future as ghost-hunters, as he had only the barest idea of how all the machines worked.

He flopped on the bed as Tucker continued modifying the Fenton-phones, staring boredly at the screen-saver on his friend's laptop. He would usually have Sam around to keep him company when Tucker got on these kinds of projects, but the half-ghost girl had ironically been put on lockdown all week, under nearly constant supervision by her parents (or more accurately, the team of bodyguards they had hired) until they could be sure she wouldn't sneak out again. She wasn't even allowed to talk on the phone to her friends, although she had slipped a second phone through her parent's grasp that she had been texting them on, so Danny did not have even that distraction.

He rolled onto his stomach and sighed, pulling the laptop towards him. If he couldn't help Tucker, he might as well try and help Sam, he decided. With a few simple computer commands that would have made his techo-friend proud had he been paying attention, Danny linked Tucker's laptop to his parent's ghost-database. The collection held all the information on ghosts the Fentons had gathered over the years, including synopsis of the ghosts they had encountered and theories on what kinds of powers ghosts could have. Danny had read much of these already in order to help Sam cope with her new powers, but now he was looking through them for a different reason.

Danny didn't quite share Sam's concern over her powers, believing that she just needed more time to get used to using them before she'd really master her control. Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to see if they could find her some kind of teacher - or at least some more information on her specific abilities that might help.

With this in mind, Danny began the tedious task of scanning through the database, attempting to isolate anything important. About an hour later, Tucker threw his hands up and yelled in triumph.

"Eureka! Hey Danny, check these out!" The bespectacled teen tugged his friend away from the screen, holding his palm out to display four silver-and-green earbuds, small enough to tuck into an ear and remain relatively unnoticed.

"Those are the Fenton-phones?" Danny asked, taking one of the earpieces and gently examining it.

Tucker nodded, "I extended the range of the microphone so that you don't need that goofy-looking extension anymore, and I pared down the casing and upgraded the power-source so its more efficient and ergonomical! I also linked them so that we can communicate between each piece, instead of needing to broadcast on an anti-spectral frequency…."

Danny blinked rapidly, then held a hand up to stop Tucker before he began to ramble.

"Okay, so I only got about half of what you just said. You're starting to sound more like my Dad than I do!  
Will the phones still protect against mind-control like Ember's?" He managed to ask, wrapping his head around that much.

Tucker nodded, "Yeah, I kept the filter in, it can also block extraneous ghost-noise, so if we ever have to go into the Ghost Zone it'll still work."

Danny shivered, "Ugh, I'd rather not go back in there if we don't have to. That place gives me the creeps. So, what else you got?"

Tucker grinned, encouraged by his friend's interest.

"I'm working on making that Fenton-fisher thing your dad made more portable, too. A giant fishing pole isn't exactly easy to carry around. I think it could be useful, though, since the line repels ghost-energy it could keep most of the weaker ghosts tied up until we can use the thermos on them. I'm also trying to make the ecto-guns collapsible, so we can at least fit them in a pocket or something. It might take a while, though." He warned, eyeing the pile of weapons to still be modified.

Danny shrugged, "Take your time. I'm trying to research more stuff on ghost powers - maybe there's something that can help Sam."

To his surprise, Tucker suddenly grinned teasingly. "Are you going to help her '_train'_ some more?"

Danny raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Tucker shrugged, still grinning as he replied airily, "Oh, you know…like the kind of _training_ you were doing before Ember's concert?"

Danny felt the heat rise to his cheeks. He had been sorely hoping Tucker wouldn't remember that through all the ghostly brain-washing he had endured.

"It was a Fake-out-Make-out! I was just covering for her!" He snapped back, feeling his face turn even redder. "At least I wasn't wearing make-up!"

The techo-geek waved the insult away, turning back to his work with a smirk still on his face.  
"Tell yourself what you want, but I saw how you freaked out when Ember said she was taking Sam to that dragon-guy."

Danny opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it. He didn't really have a good come-back anyway, since he _had _kind of freaked out about it. Not that it meant anything, he was just upset that his friend was in trouble! That was all…wasn't it?

Danny glared at the back of Tucker's beret-covered head, annoyed that he'd even brought it up. Sam was their _friend_. She needed their support with all this ghost stuff going on, and that was all Danny was trying to do, to help one of his best friends. He pushed away any other nagging doubts and focused back on the computer, determined to do just that.

Several hours later and the gnawing of the massive hunger teenaged boys always seemed to possess drove the two from Danny's room, heading towards the kitchen to scrounge something for dinner. Tucker was still absently fiddling with an ecto-gun he'd managed to strip down, unable to leave his work completely, even for food. Danny was hoping he could convince Jazz to cook, as he was afraid there wasn't too much in the fridge that was edible that wouldn't try and eat them back. To his surprise, he heard his sister's voice coming from the kitchen, but it was not alone.

He abruptly grabbed Tucker's arm and pulled him back into the hallway, out of sight of the kitchen door.

"Wha - mmmph!" Tucker tried to ask, finding Danny's hand clamped over his mouth. In response Danny pointed into to the kitchen, mouthing "Dash!"

Tucker got the hint and the two waited quietly in the hall, listening to the sound of Danny's sister attempting to get through to the thick-headed jock that so often tormented them.

"It's really not that hard, Dash. You just solve for 'x' in the equation by using these simple steps…" Jazz insisted, the sound of rustling papers accompanying her annoyed tone.

"Why don't I just punch some nerd until he finds 'x' for me?" Dash responded dully, clearly uninterested.

Tucker winced at those words, knowing who the unlucky nerd would most likely be. All the jocks knew Tucker was smart, and that led to him ending up with a lot of extra homework at the end of the day. It was either that or end up with extra bruises.

Jazz, however, was not amused.  
"If you do, and I know any of those nerds personally, I'll just have to let them know why you're failing almost every class." She snapped back.

A silence seemed to fall for a moment before Dash responded arrogantly, "Whatever. People just think I'm stupid. No one would believe you."

Jazz snorted, "No? You don't think they'd believe video-taped evidence?"

Danny and Tucker shared a curious glance. Evidence of what? Dash being a slacker?

The blonde jock's angry voice cut through their silent speculation.

"What? No one's video-taped me…doing that!" He denied, though his voice wavered slightly.

Danny could almost feel Jazz's sigh of impatience, and knew his sister would be rolling her eyes. "They have security cameras there, Dash. Did you think those were just decoration?"

There was another pause, and Jazz groaned, "Ugh, it's six o'clock already. We hardly got through anything today. Don't forget to send me your schedule so I can block out some study times for you."

The sound of scraping chairs brought the two eavesdroppers back to their senses, and Danny looked around in panic, trying to find a place to hide. Unfortunately, Dash must have been very eager to leave, for just as the two had made a step towards the living room, the jock entered the hallway looking tired and irritated.

"Fenturd! Foley!" Dash yelled, his voice both alarmed and angry.

The two teens knew better than to stick around when _that_ tone of voice was used, but they weren't fast enough. Dash grabbed Tucker by the collar and lifted his feet clear of the ground, his expression murderous.

"What did you hear?" he demanded, a touch of worry in his voice. Danny vainly attempted to remedy the situation.

"Nothing, Dash, we were just - " he began, but didn't have the time to finish his sentence. Tucker, slowly losing oxygen, had reacted instinctively. His hand already wrapped around the ecto-gun he'd been modifying, the techno-geek had pressed the trigger before he even considered the action.

Luckily for Dash, he was not a ghost, or the blast would have hurt much worse. Even so, it would be hard to ignore the blinding flare of green energy or the heat it put off that burned a sizable hole in the bully's letter jacket.

"Aghhhhh!" Dash yelled eloquently, dropping Tucker and sprinting from the house, screaming about maniacs and killer-geeks.

Danny would have found the whole situation rather apropos, except Jazz had chosen that moment to enter the hallway, and had seen one of their parent's inventions put to a new use.

"Danny!" She shouted, looking shocked, "Why are you messing with Mom and Dad's stuff? That could have seriously hurt someone!"

Danny quickly snatched the offending weapon from Tucker's nerveless hand, his friend standing there with his mouth open, too shocked to respond.

"It's nothing, Jazz, just messing around. Besides, it didn't hurt him or anything, it only hurts ghosts." Danny offered weakly, hiding the suped-up gun in his pocket. His older sister glared daggers at him, not buying it for a moment.

"What is really going on? First you guys sneak around the portal and disappear for _hours_, then you go all crazy at that concert and now you're messing with ghost weapons? Is there something you need to tell me?" Jazz questioned suspiciously, eyeing the two boys with an uncomfortably shrewd gaze.

Danny laughed weakly, "What? No, we're just being guys, Jazz. You know how much Tucker loves techno-stuff. And you were at that concert too!"

He could tell his poor defense was not convincing his sister.  
"It's not like we're trying to hunt ghosts or something, that's totally lame." He offered, then hurried to switch tracks at the raised eyebrow he received in response, "So..uh…could you make us something to eat? We're really hungry and I don't want to risk putting Tucker in the hospital from eating those possessed hot-dogs again."

The techno-geek shuddered in remembrance of that fateful dinner, coming out of his stupor. Jazz seemed to soften slightly, and with a sigh she headed back into the kitchen.

"Alright, fine. I'll make some spaghetti," she offered, and the boys breathed in relief, "But don't think you're off the hook with this, I'll find out what you're up to!" She added over her shoulder, causing Danny and Tucker to flinch.

"Man, we'll have to be more careful from now on, your sister is waaay too suspicious." Tucker commented idly. Danny glared at him.

"What?"

"She'd be a lot less suspicious if you didn't go around firing ecto-weapons at people!" Danny admonished.

Tucker folded his arms defensively.

"It wasn't my fault! Dash took me by surprise…and speaking of which, I wonder what he's been doing that Jazz knows about?" The techno-geek wondered aloud.

Danny shrugged, at the moment not really bothered over their mutual enemy's personal affairs. He was far more concerned with protecting Sam's - and their's by extension - secret.

"I dunno, but do you think we should tell Sam that Jazz is onto us?" he asked worriedly.

Tucker shook his head, "Nah, not yet anyway. Let's wait until Monday. She doesn't need this to freak-out over on top of dealing with her parents for an entire weekend. That'll be bad enough."

* * *

Tucker could not know how accurate that statement was. Sam had been in her parent's presence for three hours already, and that was three hours too much. Between her mother's endless chatter and criticism over her clothes and friends and her father's rambling about teaching her business strategies, she'd even be okay with Skulker showing up and putting her in a net again. Anything to escape this torture. Instead, she had to endure another hour's car ride to their remote destination.

They'd landed in Mitchell International, with Sam practically running from the plane to escape her parents clutches - only to learn she'd have to spend another two-hours in a rented limousine. They were staying with her father's business associate, a certain 'Vladimir Masters' that was supposedly more filthy rich than her own family.

As Sam watched the rolling pastures and green forests of Wisconsin's dairy country flash past the window, she tried to block out her parent's continued nagging.

"Now Sammykins, I want you to wear that new dress I bought you to dinner tonight. Mr. Masters has graciously allowed us to stay in his home and is even throwing a formal banquet for us and the representatives of the firm. You need to be on your best behavior." Her mother lectured, ignoring her daughter's sullen silence.

"Normally Mr. Masters would not allow his business associates to bring their children, but made an exception considering your…circumstances." Her father chimed in.

Sam felt the heat rush to her face, and found she could no longer maintain her facade of indifference.

"My _circumstances_? You guys act like I'm a delinquent running around doing drugs or something! My friends and I are just _different_…why can't you accept that?" she demanded, shooting her parents a defiant glare.

Her father glared right back. "Sammy, just this past week you've skipped classes, snuck out of the house, disobeyed every rule we've set _and_ gone to a concert without our permission where we found you barely conscious! Just what is _your_ definition of a delinquent?"

Sam opened her mouth to protest, then realized the truth of her father's words. Yet she couldn't tell them the real reason for all of those things - that she was actually part-ghost now and trying to help people. No, they'd probably lock her up in an insane asylum if she tried to explain it, or turn her over to creepy doctors and government people if they did believe her.

Sam stifled a sigh and merely continued glaring out the window, keeping her silence. Her parents took her lack of response as consent, and continued chatting about the upcoming dinner with Mr. Masters. Just when Sam was contemplating how painful it might be to bang her head against the car window until she blacked out - the driver dropped the partition and politely pointed out that they were arriving at Mr. Master's estate.

And an estate indeed it was, for not only were there sprawling grounds decorated with lush gardens, but a massive castle-like manor stood impressively on a hill, the late-afternoon sun gilding its many windows a polished gold. This matched impressively with the gold shingled roofs and the many Green Bay Packers flags flapping from the parapets.

Sam groaned as the limo rolled to a stop. She would never understand the obsession some people had with sport teams. However, now her mother's choice of a green dress with tons of gaudy gold jewelry finally made sense. She allowed herself to be escorted from the limo and ushered into the grand castle along with her parents, knowing the sooner she got it over with the sooner she could go home.

The inner entrance hall was decorated much as Sam had expected, in a tacky cross between a medieval castle and a Packers museum. What she had not expected, however, was the polished and poised appearance of their host.

Vladimir Masters did not look the part of a cheese-head fanatic. Instead he was dressed impeccably in an expensive dark suit, silver-white hair pulled back into a short queue behind his head, and a perfectly manicured beard defining his jawline. His posture was relaxed, yet held a grace and fluidity that for some reason put Sam on edge. She did not have time to dwell on this, however, for the man was already welcoming them into his home.

"Ah, and this must be young Samantha. Tut-tut dear, you should not be giving your parents so much trouble! However, I'm sure once you spend more time with them you'll learn to love the business world!" Masters enthused, taking Sam's hand and lightly kissing the back of it. His tone held a certain subtle mockery to it that Sam did not appreciate, although she was relieved that he didn't seem to take her parents' complaints very seriously.

She pulled her hand away a little more quickly than was polite, meeting the billionaire's blue gaze unflinchingly.

"It's Sam, actually. And I'm pretty sure my future career path does not involve underhanded business 'deals' and corporate conquests. I'd prefer to do something _meaningful_ with my life." she responded nonchalantly, enjoying the looks of horror on her parents' faces.

"Now now, Samantha. Why don't you go get settled in your room. I'll be along in a little to make sure you're getting ready for dinner." Pamela Manson interjected quickly, ushering her daughter away from the master of the house as fast as she could.

Vladimir Masters gave the girl an appraising look, which Sam pointedly ignored, allowing herself to be led away. She might have been forced to come on this business trip, but that certainly did not mean she would play her parents' perfect doll. The sooner they got it into their heads that she wasn't going to be the ideal Manson heiress, the better.

Sam pushed the door open to her room and could not help but gasp at the sight. The guest room was decorated beautifully, and thankfully did not have any green or gold in sight. A four-posted queen sized bed sat in the center of the room, hung with light periwinkle drapery and sheer silvery curtains that seemed to glow against the gray of the stone walls. The bed-spread was a matching periwinkle, with the softest white pillows Sam had ever felt. A regal armoire stood in the corner, made of polished cherry wood and already stocked with extra linens and with enough space for Sam to hang the loathsome dress she'd have to wear later.

All in all, if the place didn't belong to one of her parent's stupid business friends, she would have rather like it. Even if it could have used more black….

Sam sighed, tossing her bag into the floor of the armoire before flopping on the bed. She pulled her cellphone from her pocket grinning to herself at the sight of the messages already accumulating from Tucker and Danny. Her parents had confiscated her 'phone' yesterday, but they had no idea that she'd been using her allowance to pay for an entire separate cellphone, the one she preferred to use over the fancy model her parents had picked out for her.

She was glad for this small bit of connection to her friends, as she had not seen them since school on Thursday. Danny had mentioned something about them working on ghost weapons from Fenton Works, and Sam could only hope they didn't manage to blow each other up.

A knock on her door jolted Sam from her thoughts.

"Just a sec…" she mumbled, stuffing the phone under her pillows just as her mother barged in the room.

"Sweetie you haven't even showered yet? The banquet is at seven!" Her mother questioned, looking scandalized. Sam blinked and checked the clock.

"Mom, it's only five…it doesn't take me two hours to get ready." she grumbled. To her dismay, her mother's eyes narrowed.

"Tonight it does! You need to remember your behavior reflects on us as well! Your rebellious attitude could cost your father and I valuable business connections!" she scolded, hands-on-hips. Sam might just have been intimidated, if it wasn't for the content.

"Okay, then how about this? I behave and act like the perfect daughter for this weekend, and you guys let me hang out with Danny and Tucker again?" Sam bargained ruthlessly.

Pamela glared at her ornery daughter.

"Absolutely not! The Fentons are dangerous wackos that I will not have you associate with! The Foley boy I do not mind, at least his family doesn't go around wearing jumpsuits and yelling about ghosts!"

"Either I get to see Danny, or I'll have to tell everyone at dinner all about my favorite antisocial-youth CD and glass skull collection." Sam insisted stubbornly, meeting her mother's stern gaze.

The two stood in the silence of their stalemate for a moment, before Pamela finally relented.

"Alright. You can 'hang-out' with the Fenton boy, but only at our house and only under constant supervision by the staff or your grandmother." she agreed reluctantly, then added quickly at the sight of Sam's triumphant look, "But _only_ if you conduct yourself with proper etiquette and dignity as befitting a Manson. Which means to start you will go wash up and put on this dress without any argument or 'modifications,' understand me?"

Sam bit her lip and nodded, knowing that although the price was steep, she'd do what she had to to keep her parents off of Danny's case. It was that reminder that kept her sane as she scrubbed herself clean and donned the ugly dress her mother had purchased. In a different color it might have been pretty, but the dark forest green did not suit the long, sweeping skirt or the modest square neckline. Not to mention a large golden ribbon wrapped around the waist, tied in a cliche bow at her back. She sorted through the flashy jewelry with varying degrees of disgust, settling on the simplest one, a golden chain with a small green pendant, which she sincerely hoped was fake, rather than real, emerald. Trading her usual combat boots for delicate heels was probably the hardest of the ordeal, but Sam knew her mother would not let her leave the room in the boots.

As the hour drew closer to seven and Sam allowed her mother to let her put up her hair, the only comfort she could derive was picturing Danny and Tucker's faces at seeing her dressed in such a way. If she didn't think Tucker would save it and use it for blackmail for the rest of her life, she'd send them a picture just for the entertainment of seeing their reactions. Danny'd be a little better, probably just staring slack-jawed until he would burst out laughing.

The thought brought a small smile to Sam's face, and her mother smiled as well, thinking that her daughter was beginning to see the joys of dressing for success.

"There now, that should do it. Oh, you look so pretty Sammykins!" she enthused. Sam looked at her own reflection and nearly gagged, which luckily her mother missed as she turned to a knock at the door.

Sam's father stood on the threshold, dressed as extravagantly as his wife and daughter, also following the Packer's theme.

Sam face-palmed. "We look like a bunch of broccoli…" she mumbled, half to herself.

Her mother accepted her father's arm and scowled back at Sam.

"Nonsense. And don't do that, dear, you'll smudge your make-up. Now come on, it's nearly time already."

Far too soon for Sam's liking, the Mansons found their way to the castle/manor's banquet hall, decorated surprisingly tastefully for the business dinner. Sam supposed that this room, like her own, was probably furnished by someone other than Mr. Masters. The banquet was set up in a very casual buffet-style, with groups of smaller tables gathered around rather than one long one. Guests mostly stood, snacking on hors d'oeuvres, drinking wine and chatting up their colleagues.

Sam wandered through the crowd, slipping away from her parents as soon as possible. She browsed the buffet table, picking through for the few things she could actually eat with her strict dietary preferences.

There wasn't much. For some reason the catering service seemed to want to wrap bacon around practically everything. Such a menu might be heaven for Tucker, but Sam found herself settling for a few crackers and some fruit salad instead.

"Ah, don't you look lovely, miss Manson." A voice chimed from behind her, and Sam whirled around. Mr. Masters stood next to her, gathering a spoonful of fruit salad onto his own plate.

"Um..Thank you, sir." she responded blankly, knowing that no one in their right mind could think her outfit was actually 'nice', but she had a deal to uphold. Unless this guy really was that much of a fanatic…

"Although I think a different color may suit you better." The billionaire commented lightly, and Sam rolled her eyes, temporarily forgetting that she was supposed to be polite.

"You mean chewed-up spinach isn't a good color for me?" she quipped sarcastically before she could help herself.

To her surprise, the man laughed, rather than being offended.

"It isn't a good color for anyone. Now, I do believe I'll have to start this meeting soon, but if you'd like to avoid the dull discussions and backbiting politics of the business world, you are welcome to explore the study across the hall." He offered with surprising thoughtfulness.

Sam eyed the man suspiciously, but could not help but jump at the offer. It was not a hard choice, especially since a study meant there would be books.

"Thanks. I'll do just that." She accepted gratefully, and the billionaire gave her a polite nod before moving off to the center of the hall, gathering the attention of his guests.

Sam took the opportunity to slip out the door, heading across the hallway to an open room. She wasn't sure why Mr. Masters had chosen to be so considerate towards her, but at the moment she wasn't about to look a gift-horse in the mouth. The study had several floor-to-ceiling shelves lined with books, as well as a couple soft armchairs in which to enjoy them. Sam was vaguely reminded of Ghostwriter's lair, except on a smaller scale.

She wandered to the shelves, browsing the titles with interest. There were the typical classics, as well as books on philosophy and economics, and sets of heavy encyclopedias and other collectables - all the proper books Sam would expect to find in a wealthy businessman's study.

That is, until she reached the furthest shelf from the door, in which the titles became far less common. Sam was shocked to find certain books she owned herself, like Theories of the Paranormal_, _Mysterious Mysteries, and even a collection of the works of Edgar Allen Poe. She would certainly not have pegged Masters as someone interested in the paranormal, not with his practical business persona.

She pulled a book from the shelf and settled down with it in one of the chairs, slipping off her heels with relief. Her mother might lecture her about it later, but Sam was not going to risk blisters just for a stupid dinner party.

She tucked her feet under her, curling up for a long session of reading. A warm fire blazed in a hearth in the center of the room, casting a comforting flickering glow over everything.

A half an hour or so later, and Sam found herself with some company in the study. Mr. Masters appeared to have fled his own meeting, and seem surprised to see the girl still there.

"I was sure you'd take the first opportunity to sneak off and use one of those smart-phones your generation seems to enjoy so much." The billionaire commented, strolling to one of the desks lining the walls and shuffling through some papers.

Sam shrugged, feeling slightly insulted.

"And I though you'd be busy facilitating another cold-blooded takeover of another unsuspecting business." Sam retorted, without even looking up from her book.

Masters chuckled in appreciation, gathering the folders he needed before strolling back towards the door. He glanced at the book the girl was reading and frowned.

"An Introduction to Paraspsychology and Ectogenesis," Masters read out, drawing Sam's attention once again, "Hardly a usual selection for most fourteen-year-olds. Even more experienced researchers find Dr. Venkman's theories hard to follow."

Sam smirked slightly, "Well I'm definitely not 'most fourteen-year-olds.' I understand the theories fine, but I do find them a little outdated."

The billionaire's eyebrows rose in surprise at this, and Sam pressed on, feeling pleased that she'd stumped the businessman.

"Especially those theories that ghosts are merely a manifestation of excess ectoplasm in the atmosphere and have no actual relation to a once-living being."

Masters folded his arms behind his back, "Oh? And what do you believe a 'ghost' is, miss Manson?"

Sam fidgeted slightly, suddenly unsure of this conversation, "I don't know for sure, but I think ghosts must be more than that. After all, they clearly have feelings and emotions, and memories of their own. And please call me Sam." She added grumpily.

The billionaire looked pensive, giving the girl a searching glance.

"You seem to know a lot about ghosts. Have you ever seen such an apparition before?" he asked. His tone was light and unconcerned, but Sam could read something deeper in the question. She began to worry about the wisdom of continuing this conversation, but decided not to lie.

"I've seen _something_. Amity Park has had some weird things happening lately. Even really skeptical people have been considering that ghosts might be real…" Sam trailed off, thinking of Jazz's recent discoveries after Ember's concert. Yet it was her own words that were really starting to sink in. Just as Ghostwriter had warned, the open portal and Sam's own activities would soon start to bridge a gap previously unheard of - a connection between a world of what could be considered departed souls with the living, human plane. If such a connection were to be made public worldwide…well, who knows what the consequences would be.

Meanwhile, Masters was still scrutinizing her carefully. His expression was unreadable, but she wondered if his thoughts ran on similar lines.

The billionaire cleared his throat and turned towards the door, shooting a last glance at Sam over his shoulder,"I really must be returning to the meeting. You are a very perceptive girl, miss - Sam - but I would advise you to be cautious around these creatures you have encountered. Some may seem benevolent, but there are undoubtedly many who could harm you." he added, his tone darkening to a warning.

Sam could only nod silently in response, watching the billionaire retreat from the study. When she was at last alone again, the goth girl allowed herself a sigh of relief. Vladimir Masters was a very strange man. His easy acceptance of her belief in ghosts and his specific questions made her feel like he already _knew_ they were real. As if he'd seen them himself before. Not to mention his not-so-cryptic warning. None of it made sense to Sam, but she couldn't sit and sort it all out now.

A yawn escaped her and a clock on the mantle chimed eleven, reminding Sam she'd been up early getting ready for the trip. She replaced the book in its proper spot on the shelf and began the trek to her room, carrying her shoes in one hand. The sound of voices and music still drifted from the open banquet hall, the meeting still apparently in progress. Sam tiptoed by the door so as not to draw her parent's attention, and several minutes later arrived back at her room, dropping onto her bed with a sigh of relief.

She was tempted to fall asleep right then and there, but the stiff fabric of her dress was hardly the most comfortable. She gratefully changed out of the ugly thing and into her soft pajamas, crawling under the covers. They were just as soft as the pillows, no doubt made with the highest thread count physically possible. With such comfortable quarters, not even the many questions and worries buzzing in Sam's mind could keep her from quickly drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Vladimir Masters knew better than anyone how to keep up appearances, and the sacrifices that such a facade necessitated. However, dealing with the Mansons tested his patience for such charades almost to his breaking point. The couple were so completely absorbed in their own world that they hardly noticed the absurdity of half the things they said or did. As the meeting wound to a close, Vlad was currently being 'treated' to a long-winded tale of Jeremy Manson's exploits in his father's workshop; which the billionaire knew could only end in the young Manson somehow getting wrapped in cellophane. Honestly, the people were so clueless that they'd coordinated the entire family's outfits for the evening to match - and in Packer's colors, no less. If they were trying to impress Vlad, they had failed miserably. In fact, the only one of the family even mildly bearable was the daughter - the supposed delinquent. She at least seemed to have some common sense.

He was curious how the girl seemed to have such intimate knowledge of ghosts, but if she lived in Amity Park it would not surprise him that she had encountered some.

He knew that _fat oaf _had somehow managed to create a functioning, full-sized ghost portal, probably due to the contributions of his vastly-more-intelligent wife. No doubt the idiot had failed to create any safeguards to keep ghosts from escaping, as careless as he had been in college.

Just the thought of his former friend and classmate made Vlad's anger burn, but he could not dwell on it at the moment. His plans for Jack and Maddie would be put into motion soon, but for now he had more important things to worry about.

Like getting away from the Mansons before they bored him out of his mind.

"Ah, well, look at the time! It's nearly one o'clock. Best call it a night, hmm?" Vlad abruptly cut in, uncaring that he interrupted Jeremy's story. The man looked a bit put out at not getting to finish his tale of cellophane-based torment, but assured Vlad he'd continue it tomorrow.

The billionaire forced himself not to rub his aching temples and instead offered polite good-nights to the couple and the few other stragglers that had not yet left the hall. When it was at last empty, he sighed in relief, putting a hand to his aching head.

There were things that needed to be done throughout the mansion and his laboratories, but Vlad resolved to leave them for tonight. He made his way towards the kitchen, thinking he'd just grab a bit of chamomile tea to help him get to sleep. He pushed open the swinging doors, stifling a yawn with one hand as he made his way to the cabinet with his tea.

It was then that he noticed he was not alone in the kitchen. Staring at him with utter shock and bemusement were two ghosts: The Diary King, one he'd met on several occasions wandering his home, and a girl with shining white hair and glowing golden eyes.

Both were currently eating his finest cheeses.

* * *

Sam had not even been asleep for an hour before she was awoken by the familiar burning sensation of her ghost sense. She opened her eyes in time to see the purple vapor slowly dissipate and groaned, pulling the pillow over her head. Did there really have to be ghosts around - even _here_? Maybe if she just ignored it, it would go haunt somewhere else...

Sam sighed, forcing herself out of bed. She knew she had to at least check and make sure it wasn't going to attack anyone or she'd never get back to sleep. The bright rings washed over her, their energy invigorating her sleepy mind as she brought forth her ghost form. Still yawning and grumbling to herself, Sam phased through the floor in search of the source of this late-night disturbance.

To her surprise, she found the ghost in the kitchen, doing nothing more nefarious than raiding the fridge for its stock of cheese. It was an older gentleman, dressed in an absurd king outfit with a giant cheese square on its head, complete with a crown. A scepter topped with an ice-cream cone floated next to him. The ghost girl did not need an introduction to know that this ghost was the Dairy King - she'd seen his picture hanging in the castle, and the cheese-crown ensemble was enough to give it away.

"Um….high there." Sam offered hesitantly. It didn't seem like this ghost was intending anything any harm - other than the block of white cheddar he was currently devouring, but she thought she'd better check.

The Dairy King looked up from his feast with genuine surprise,

"OH hi there little lady! Would ya care for some goulda? It's very fresh!" the portly ghost offered in a thick Wisconsin accent, grabbing several more wheels and blocks from the fridge.

Sam shook her head, slightly confused by the ghost's genial demeanor.

"No thank you, I don't eat any animal products." She replied tentatively, then waited for the inevitable ghostly outburst of wrath that would follow. The Dairy King, however, merely looked shocked.

"No Dairy? You lactose intolerant, eh? Are you sure you don't want to try some? Perhaps a bit of swiss or monterey?" He wheedled, offering up each cheese in turn. Sam waved them away.

"Uh no, really. I'm ultra-recyclo-vegetarian, so unless that cheese is made from soy-milk…" she insisted.

The Dairy King looked crestfallen, but did not turn into some towering demon with eyes ablaze for her refusal. Instead, he chuckled good-naturedly.

"Well milkin' a cow doesn't do it any harm, doncha know?" He responded, gathering a bottle of milk along with his armload of cheese.

Sam blinked, "Well, not physically, I suppose. But they are still often kept in poor conditions and when their milk runs dry they end up getting slaughtered!" she countered.

The Dairy King took a sip of the milk pensively, smacking his lips and pausing a moment as if it were fine wine.

"Now, not every Dairy farm is like that! De Dairy King's pastures are da finest in Wisconsin! And our cows all receive excellent care to the end of der life! It makes for the best cheese, doncha know?"

To this, Sam could not muster a response. The Dairy King held out another piece of cheese, and this time Sam accepted it hesitantly.

"Well, I suppose I could at least try it. And the cows don't get killed when they're too old for milk?" She demanded once more, eyeing the chunk of smooth white cheese in her hand.

The Dairy King chuckled. "Nope. They are moved to da north pastures and spend their days lyin' in the sun. Better retirement than most got, 'n so?"

Reassured for the most part, Sam took a tentative bite of the cheese. She had to admit, it was absolutely delicious. The fake soy-based cheese she depended on for her needs was like sawdust compared to the excellent product in her hand.

She said as much to the Dairy King, who looked ridiculously pleased.

"Ah! Ya see now, missy! Nothin' can beat a good Wisconsin cheese, eh?" He grinned.

Sam nodded in agreement, and savored another bite of the smooth dairy confection. She was just about to compliment the taste when the sound of a door opening snapped both ghosts back to attention.

At first, the only thing all three of them could do was stare at one another as Sam's brain tried to frantically register the fact that Mr. Masters was standing in the kitchen.

The Dairy King was the first to recover, laughing good naturally and grabbing his scepter, using the end to tip his cheese-crown to the billionaire.

"How's by you, sir? I was just gonna head out now. Hope ya don't mind if I take a couple of snacks with me, dese new recipes are ta die for, doncha know!" He said in a rush, before disappearing through the ceiling with his bounty.

Sam cursed silently at being so abruptly abandoned by the other ghost. She looked blankly between Mr. Masters and the cheese in her hand, and quickly hid it behind her back.

"Uh….sorry!" she mumbled quickly, then winced as the man's eyes widened.

"I'll just get going now…bye!" Sam shot hurriedly, then followed the Dairy King's example and disappeared through the wall, turning invisible as she flew towards her room. She hadn't gotten more than a floor away from the kitchen before a beam of ecto-energy slammed into her back, knocking the wind out of her. Silently berating herself for not turning intangible, Sam whirled around to face her attacker. She had expected the Dairy King, perhaps gone mad with his need for cheese - not a tall, blue skinned ghost heavily resembling a vampire. He floated in front of her with arms crossed, dressed in a white uniform complete with cape, his dark hair slicked into spikes on his head. He would have looked a little comical had he not been charging another menacing pink blast in one black-gloved hand, a furious expression on his face.

"Just what do you think you are doing in my territory, girl?" He demanded, his voice threatening.

Sam winced, preparing herself for a fight.

"I didn't know it was your 'territory'…geeze. Not like I wanted to be here anyway…" she muttered, pulling her energy to her hands. They began to glow gold, but Sam was hesitant to charge a blast…what if she lost control again?

The dracula-esque ghost narrowed his blazing red eyes. "Tell me girl, why is it that your face is plastered all over the Ghost Zone?" he demanded, his fist still glowing menacingly.

For a moment Sam forgot to be on her guard, shocked by this statement.

"My face is what?" she asked blankly, her hands falling slightly to her sides.

The ghost cocked his head to the side, "You were unaware? How could you possibly travel anywhere in the realm without seeing it?" He questioned suspiciously.

Sam shrugged sheepishly, "I'm…uh…not that observant?" she offered, already knowing it was a very poor excuse. Something told her it was _not_ a good idea to tell this ghost she had been spending all her time in the human world, instead. From the few ghost fights she had participated in so far, Sam had gathered that while ghosts may come to the human world as a way to gain more power or to terrorize humans, they generally returned to their lairs in the Ghost Zone once they'd gotten what they wanted or just got bored of scaring people.

The vampiric ghost seemed to have accepted her excuse, however, for he asked another, more worrying question,

"Why is it that Prince Aragon wishes to capture you so badly?"

Sam tensed, her energy responding in a swirl of gold. She gathered some of her courage back at these words and glared defiantly at the ghost.

"Because he's an arrogant ass," She responded bluntly, "and didn't appreciate the fact that I trashed his throne room when he tried to force me to marry him."

Whatever response the ghost had expected, it wasn't that. His eyes widened in surprise and a momentary look of disgust flashed across his features. Sam was glad that at least some ghosts agreed that Aragon was a creep. Maybe she'd earned another ally against the dragon prince.

"That would explain things. Unfortunately, the Prince has put a price on your return, and it is too high of a reward for me to simply let you go." The ghost continued, smirking darkly.

Sam sighed. Or not.

She raised her glowing hands just as the dark-haired ghost fired another pink beam at her. She barely managed to deflect it with her makeshift shield, but the force of the ghost's attack sent her back a few feet.

Sam winced at the stinging pain in her palms from the force of the beam. This ghost was a lot more powerful than the ones she'd fought so far. And considering her track record with the _weaker_ ghosts….this fight could not end well.

The blue-skinned ghost seemed to read her thoughts.

"Just give up, girl. You are no match for me, and continuing to fight will only bring you more pain." He declared.

Sam felt her anger rise, and she suddenly fired a ray of her own at the ghost, hoping to catch him by surprise.

The male specter merely staged a yawn and held up one hand, a pink mirror-like shield materializing in time to deflect the blast effortlessly.

"Pathetic. _This_ is how its done." The ghost chided, releasing two quick balls of energy from either hand, speeding towards Sam like twin bullets.

Without the time to make another shield, Sam was forced to try and dodge the blasts. She managed to duck the first one, but the second hit her full-force in the stomach. She was sent crashing into the wall, gasping for air. She tried to gain her wind back as she watched the ghost approach her, charging another blast in his hand.

She desperately tried to come up with some sort of a plan. If her energy blasts wouldn't work on the ghost, then maybe she'd be better off trying to fight it hand-to-hand. Her sparring skills might be severely lacking, but if she could get in one lucky punch she might be able to escape long enough to turn human and hide from the creature.

With this thought in mind, Sam waited just long enough for the ghost to come within range.

"It's a pity, really. You seem to have so much potential for a newly-formed ghost…" the man commented.

Sam took it as her chance. She lunged towards the ghost, throwing all her weight and power behind her fist as it soared toward the creature's face.

In the blink of an eye, the older ghost snatched her wrist, yanking her off her feet.

"Now, really. Was that your best shot? I honestly can't see _why_ Aragon would want you. It is not as if you are a threat at this stage." He taunted, then raised his opposite hand, charging another blast. Sam struggled to break free, but for some reason couldn't phase from his grip. She was helpless to stop the blast as it struck her full force. Pain coursed through her every nerve as she was sent sprawling into a bookcase, the sound of splintering wood and the dull thud of books the last sounds she heard before she slipped into unconsciousness, unaware of the bright lavender rings of her transformation sparking to life.

* * *

Plasmius stood above the ruined bookcase, his hand still held up in a fist, but all fight gone from him. He could not believe the evidence right before his eyes; the frail, pale skin or the dark hair spilling over the girl's face, the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Ever so gently, he knelt next to the unfathomable being and took her wrist once more, feeling a pulse thrumming under his fingers.

"How can this be? This girl…is also half-human." Vlad muttered to himself, the shock still keeping him from fully comprehending the sight before him. The girl Aragon wanted…she was a hybrid…she was like _him._

He tentatively brushed the dark hair from the girl's face and felt a second revelation strike him.

"The Manson girl?" he breathed in astonishment. Vlad's mind began to whirl. How could any of this be possible? He was sure he was the only half-ghost in existence, and indeed the only one that would ever exist, considering how his unique 'condition' came about. Had he missed something? Some artifact, perhaps, that could have given the girl these powers?

Was it possible she had received them as he had, in some sort of terrible accident? Yet even as Vlad considered it, he could not understand how the girl could have come to be around equipment like the proto-portal that had so damaged him. Her parents were high-class socialites and business people. They did not mix with the kind of paranormal scientists and inventors that he had been surrounded by in his college days.

No…there must be some other explanation.

Yet Vlad could not afford to dwell on it at the moment. He was faced with the sudden pressing decision on what to do with the girl. No doubt she would wake any minute, sore and disoriented. It would be easy for him to capture her now, in her weak state. He could have her to Aragon by the morning, and her parents would be none the wiser. They would never suspect Vladimir Masters had any hand in the disappearance of their daughter…but could he really hand her over to the dragon prince? The only other being in existence like himself?

Vlad stared down at the girl once more and swallowed. She was only a child…already forced to undergo the same hardships he had faced as a young man. No doubt she was already experiencing difficulty controlling her powers, struggling to gain an understanding of the ghostly core suddenly flaring to life inside her. Vlad could teach her that control…he could give her the help and guidance that he had so desperately wanted after his own accident. She need not feel abandoned and alone, forsaken by her friends and family because of her condition…

And yet, if he did not turn her into Aragon, he may never have the chance to get the artifact the dragons so jealously guarded; the powerful relic that could make him master of all the Ghost Zone, virtually invincible.

As this internal war continued to rage in Vlad's mind, the girl stirred, groaning in pain as she came awake.

Vlad watched anxiously, still torn from indecision. He could do nothing at the moment, as this had never been part of his plans. He needed to retreat and re-think his scheme, and decide just where he stood in relation to this young hybrid.

With a last, calculating glance at the stirring girl, Vlad turned invisible and soared from the room, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

Sam woke with a terrible headache and every nerve in her body on fire, but for some strange reason the ghost that had attacked her was gone. She carefully stood up, brushing off splinters of wood and wincing at the new bruises she'd have. She wasn't sure why the ghost had disappeared, perhaps seeing her transform had scared him somehow?

Sam doubted that, but did not have the energy to waste on coming up with more theories. She only wanted to get back to bed and stay there until it was time to leave this stupid mansion. She had hardly taken a step towards the door when it burst open, a huddle of people crashing into the room.

Two security guards and Sam's father stood at the threshold and gaped at her, the latter dressed in his bathrobe and holding what appeared to be a candlestick in his fists like a baseball bat.

"Sammy? It was _you_ making all that racket?" Her father asked incredulously. Sam looked down at her toes, biting her lip, searching her mind frantically for an excuse.

"I was um, sleepwalking?" She attempted. One of the security guards swore under his breath.

"More like sleep-demolishing." the guard grumbled, eyeing the ruined shelf and the rest of the room, which did not fare much better in the fight. "How did you even _do_ all this?"

Sam flushed crimson, but was spared the answer by her angry father.

"This is ridiculous, Sam. Your whole 'rebellion' thing has gone to far this time. What will Mr. Masters say when he finds you trashed one of his studies?" He ranted in disappointment. Sam continued to stare at her toes, biting her lip to keep from exploding. She wanted to yell 'It wasn't me, it was the ghost!' but knew that would only get her into more trouble for supposedly making up stories.

"Now off to bed with you! Your mother and I will deal with you in the morning!" Jeremy Manson scolded, ushering his wayward daughter from the room. Sam hurried to obey, not looking up until she was safe at last in the guest room. She sprawled on the bed and buried her face in the pillows. She knew her parent's wrath would be ten times worse in the morning, especially once they had to explain to Vlad Masters how their daughter had trashed one of his rooms. Even so, she found herself more worried about the ghost that had attacked her, and what he had said.

So Aragon had put some kind of wanted-posters up for her all over the Ghost Zone - offering some outrageous reward for her capture. She knew what that would mean: even more ghosts would be sneaking through the portal, all with the intention of attacking _her_. How long would it be before some ghost as powerful as the one she'd met tonight came through? Considering how easily he'd defeated her, she was afraid it would be sooner rather than later.

There was still one ace up her sleeve, however. The ghost she had fought did not seem to know _why_ Aragon wanted her, or that she was half-human as well. As long as she stayed human, none of the ghosts would be able to find her. While this was a temporary plan at best, it gave Sam enough peace of mind that she was at last able to drift off to sleep.

The next day brought all of the misery Sam had expected. Her parents were furious, and had made her apologize personally to Mr. Masters over lunch. To her surprise the man wasn't all that concerned, waving away the damages casually.

"I'm just glad Samantha is unharmed. Sleepwalking can be a dangerous disorder, I'd suggest you get her an appointment at a sleep clinic as soon as possible." The billionaire chatted amiably.

The Mansons seemed struck speechless, no doubt digesting the implied criticism of their lack of concern over their daughter's health. Sam would have felt bad about the whole thing, if it wasn't for her mother's next statement.

"Well, Samantha…you know what this means. You will not be permitted to see that Fenton boy under any circumstances, understood?" Pamela snapped, reminding Sam of their earlier agreement. Sam glowered at her mother, but held her tongue. Her parents could rant about Danny all they wanted, but they couldn't keep an eye on her forever. The moment they left her alone she'd just turn ghost and slip out of the house, and she'd like to see them try and stop her.

Mr. Masters suddenly choked on his cup of tea.

"Did you just mention the Fentons?" He inquired quickly, something harsh in his tone. Sam looked to him curiously, but thus far the man had been avoiding her gaze. In fact, he'd been behaving strangely towards her all morning. She had thought he was actually annoyed about the bookshelf-thing, but after his nonchalance over the damage, she couldn't be sure.

Sam's mother blinked, setting down her own cup.

"Oh, um..yes, they're a family from our town, Amity Park. They have a dreadful reputation, always charging through the streets yelling about 'ghosts' and other nonsense. We have forbidden Samantha to mingle with their children, she hardly needs any of that kind of influence." She finished primly, sniffing in disapproval.

Sam growled in response, "Danny is not a bad influence! If you guys wouldn't be so narrow-minded and snobby - "

"Enough, Samantha!" Her father scolded, effectively stopping Sam's rant mid-sentence. Mr. Masters, however, was finally looking at her again, and she thought she saw some kind of dawning comprehension on his features.

"I am actually acquainted with the Fentons, however distantly." The billionaire chimed in casually, taking another more measured sip of tea.

This effectively shut up both of Sam's parents, and she would have enjoyed the looks on their faces had she not been so surprised herself. What could a rich businessman like Vlad Masters possibly have in common with a family like the Fentons? She immediately though of the odd books in his study and revised her previous thought.

Masters continued speaking into the stunned silence, "Yes, it may seem like a surprise, but were classmates at Wisconsin University. I daresay at one point we were even something like friends." He added, with a touch of bitterness in his tone, "However, I haven't seen or spoken to them in many years. I was actually planning a reunion for the next couple months in order to reconnect with them, but perhaps I will simply have to make a trip to Amity Park."

Sam's parents seemed to be struggling to regain the power of speech. It was Jeremy who managed it first.

"You are welcome to stay with us if you do! We would be pleased to return the favor!" he offered quickly, clearly eager to have the chance to suck-up to the billionaire further. Sam thought Mr. Masters looked a little ill at the idea, and smirked to herself. She was sure he was already sick of dealing with her parents, and the idea of another weekend in their presence would be enough to scare anyone off.

"Ah, perhaps. However, I may just stay with the Fentons. Jack and I were…close…in college, and it would be rude of me not to visit with him and his beautiful wife. I am sure despite their eccentricies they are still the good people I knew back then." He added, allowing the hook to sink in for the Mansons.

They easily took the bait.

"Oh of course! You see…what we meant was, they do have a rather…unique reputation around town, and can have some dangerous inventions, so we naturally would prefer Sammykins play with her friends at our home, instead." Pamela interjected, eagerly trying to refute her earlier criticism of the ghost-hunting family.

Vlad Master's eyes flickered quickly to Sam's, flashing shrewdly. She shivered, disliking the calculation behind that stare. Something strange was going on here…she could easily see how Masters was manipulating her parents, yet had no idea what his goal with it was. Was he really that sentimental over his old friendship with Jack Fenton? Or was there more going on?

"I am sure that is true. However, I don't see why that means she should not be friends with their son. Perhaps when I come to Amity we could all get together, and have a nice old-fashioned dinner instead of one of these formal banquets." He continued, his tone jaunty, but something harder gleaming in his blue eyes.

The Mansons hurried to agree, already chatting about what they'd serve and setting dates. Sam blinked at the sudden turn of the situation.

"So, It's okay if I see Danny?" She asked, just to be sure.

Her mother pursed her lips, clearly still unhappy with the idea, but in the presence of Masters she did not dare insult the Fentons again. Instead, she nodded reluctantly.

"Yes, but only under supervision and not at their house. Just as we agreed earlier."

Sam sighed in relief. Not that it would have stopped her, but at least now she wouldn't have to sneak around as much. Still, she could not help but wonder why Mr. Masters had been so insistent on this.

She did not have to wonder long, however, for the next day as the Mansons prepared for departure, the billionaire himself was there to show them off.

"Miss Sam, could I have a word?" he asked politely, earning some curious looks from her parents. Sam eyed the affluent man suspiciously, but thought it might have something to do with his books or the Fentons.

"Yeah, okay." She agreed, following him a little ways from the front steps while her parents tried to look busy loading things into the limo, when in reality the driver was doing all the work.

When they were out of earshot, Masters withdrew a book from his pocket, presenting it to Sam. She glanced at the title and noticed it was the same book she'd been reading the first night.

"This is for you, Samantha." He stated, ignoring the cringe the girl gave at her full name, "I'd like you to keep it. I daresay today's youth could use more mind-broadening literature, and you seemed to enjoy it."

Sam tentatively accepted the book, but could not help but voice her confusion.

"Thank you, sir…but um…why are you doing all this? Not just with the book, but convincing my parents to let me around the Fentons…" She hastened to clarify.

Vlad Masters gave her strange smile.

"You are a very unique girl, Sam Manson, and very perceptive. Let's just say I'd like to keep in touch, and consider my influence on your parent's decision more of a…favor."

With nothing more than a simple, 'goodbye', he walked back towards her mother and father, saying their farewells. Sam shivered again, thoroughly creeped out by the billionaire's bizarre interest in her. She hurried to get into the car, glad that they were at last leaving this place. Despite her misgivings, Sam could not help but be glad for the book Masters gave her. She opened it as soon as the limo was underway, planning on disappearing in the pages until she could get away from her parents once more. To her surprise, she found a slip of paper stuck in between the pages. It was a note, from Masters himself.

_Samantha, if you ever need my assistance for anything, especially something you do not feel safe telling your parents, please feel free to call my personal number below. I hope the next time I am in Amity we can meet again._

Now more weirded-out than ever, Sam closed the book hurriedly and set it aside, pulling her knees up to her chest. Masters' strange behavior had unsettled her. It was almost as if he knew she was hiding some kind of secret…but how could he?

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the later-than-usual update...real life problems..you know...  
Anyway, this chapter is a little longer so I hope that makes up for it. If it doesn't, feel free to yell at me :) I hope I did Vlad justice in this chapter, he's a hard character for me to write. I'm just not clever enough for his cunning mind!  
Reviews & such:  
Thank you hellbreaker! As interesting as it is to write Sam as a main character, I still can't help but give Danny some time in the spotlight. I figure even without ghost powers he wouldn't be sitting around on his hands.  
Also thanks to new followers/favorites Cobalt Sunfire, Anononomonomymous, and Amethyste Noire, I really appreciate the support! And another thank you to everyone else continuing to read this story!  
Up Next: The guys kick some ghost-butt, Sam deals with being Amity's Most Wanted, and Vlad does some serious scheming. What else is new?  
**

**P.S. If anyone can tell me what the chapter title is from, they get an infinite number of hypothetical internet coolness points.(Hint, its an episode title for something else) Also...threw a little something in there for Invader Zim fans...  
**


	9. Ch 8 - Shadow Boxing

**Episode 8 - Shadow Boxing**

Rain splattered in cold, iron gray sheets against the asphalt, washing into puddles and rivulets deep enough to soak through the tops of Sam's sneakers. They made an awkward squelching noise with every heavy footfall as the hybrid girl sprinted through the murky city streets, frantically searching for somewhere hidden from the sight of the early morning commuters. A loud, high-pitched whine pierced through the steady drone of the downpour. Without hesitation Sam flung herself to the ground, disregarding the painful cement that scraped at her palms and elbows as she rolled desperately. Her rash action was not a moment too soon. A blast of green energy struck the ground where she'd been standing, creating a smoking crater and causing a panic in the passerby.

Sam jumped to her feet, violet eyes scanning rapidly, hardly even sparing a glance for the source of the attack. It wasn't as if it came as a surprise, she was actually more surprised it took him this long to show up.

There! A large utility van was parked in the next alley, its missing left wheel screaming 'abandoned' to the frantic girl. Sam made a mad dash for it just as the telltale whine began again, heralding another green blast.

She barely managed to dodge behind the van in time, hearing the metal shriek from the heat of the energy that slammed into the vehicle's frame. Sam wasted no more time, taking advantage of her hidden position to transform.

She soared out from behind the vehicle just as another blast reduced it to near-cinders.

"Ah, ready to play at last, ghost child?" Skulker's deep voice rang out, his flaming hair still somehow managing its usual flare, even in the rain.

Sam responded by firing her own ectoblast back at the hunter, "What took you so long, Skulker? There have been at least five ghosts before you just this week!"

The mechanical hunter growled, dodging the blast and unsheathing a glowing blade as he charged toward Sam, "Prey becomes more valuable the harder it is to capture!" he defended, as Sam frantically dodged out of the way of the frightening blade. "Besides, those ghosts are nothing more than weaklings out for an easy reward. I, on the other hand, am the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter and - "

"Oh give it a rest!" Sam snapped, cutting Skulker off with a well-placed uppercut to his metallic chin. "To be the 'Greatest Hunter' you have to actually catch something!"

The ghost was knocked away momentarily, just long enough for Sam to charge another blast. Skulker recovered quickly, however, before Sam was fully ready for him. The metallic ghost sneered as twin missile launchers rose from his shoulder pads, small rockets shooting from them without warning. "I plan on it, whelp!"

Sam had only a second, throwing her ball of ecto-energy at the missiles only moments before they struck. Smoke choked her nose and obscured her vision as the explosion died, making it impossible for Sam to see Skulker through the haze. Unfortunately for her, the hunter had counted on this. A glowing green net suddenly burst from the gloom, ensnaring Sam before she could even think about dodging.

Skulker's shadowy silhouetted loomed from the cloud of smoke, floating over to his captured prey with a look of triumph.

"Anytime now, Tucker!" Sam said aloud, the silver-green earpiece nestled behind her hair transmitting her words.

_"Sorry! I had to go back for my backpack. Danny's on his way, he's going to try and get you free while I hack into Skulker's system." _Tucker's voice responded through the earpiece.

Sam groaned, attempting to turn intangible and finding it useless.

"Well, hurry it up!" She snapped back, worry causing her to be a bit more irritable than usual. That, and this was about the third ghost fight in the past twelve hours, and Sam had not got much sleep. The ghosts had learned quickly that while they may not know where Sam hid in the human world, if they started smashing things and causing enough panic and fear, the ghost girl would inevitably show up to stop them. Sam didn't really have much of a choice, she was afraid if she didn't they would just escalate their tactics until people got hurt. That risk was not worth a few hours of extra sleep.

Skulker unsheathed his blade once again, grinning darkly.

"Now, whelp, I will have your pelt for my wall!" He stated, flashing the glowing saber under Sam's nose.

The hybrid girl flinched, struggling against the net, "What happened to capturing me and putting me on display? Isn't that a lot less messy than skinning?" She said with a slight note of panic, eyeing the dangerously close blade.

The ghostly hunter looked thoughtful for a moment, then glared, "That was my original intention, but if I keep you alive Aragon is sure to try and take you from me. I'd rather not deal with _that_ mess."

"So you're a bad hunter _and_ a coward!" A voice suddenly yelled, followed by a blast from an ecto-pistol that struck Skulker directly in the stomach, sending him flying.

Danny hurried over to his captured friend, the modified pistol in his hand still smoking slightly.

"About time!" Sam quipped, but she flashed a smile of relief at Danny, who had aimed the pistol towards the stunned ghost.

"Hey, I'm here, aren't I? We just have to keep Skulker from taking your head off until Tucker can shut him down."

Sam pushed harder against the net, attempting to charge her energy enough to break it as she had the last time. Danny edged away a little as air around her sparked with the surge of power, but it was no use.

Sam collapsed in a panting heap, nearly losing her hold on her ghost form from the amount of exertion. She was just too tired from all the recent ghost attacks to muster enough energy to break free.

Danny looked on worriedly, but before he could do anything, a well-placed blast from Skulker's gun exploded at his feet, sending him sprawling.

Skulker laughed, striding towards the two fallen teens.

"This time I am prepared for your little helpers, ghost child! These guns will have no problem disintegrating your frail human friend!" he taunted, raising his weapon once more.

"Tucker, what is taking so long?" Sam demanded, struggling even harder with the bonds of the net.

_"I'm sorry, he's put in place some new firewalls, its taking a little longer to get through. Can you hold him off for a minute more?" _Tucker's voice crackled back through the earpiece.

Sam practically snarled back, "In a minute Danny will be a pile of ashes and I'll be a throw-rug!"

Meanwhile, Danny had regained his feet and was pointing his ectopistol determinedly at Skulker, but from his tense expression and slightly shaky grip Sam could tell he knew his little portable gun would hardly stand up to Skulker's arsenal.

Sam bit her lip and tried to charge another ectoblast, willing as much power as she had left into another strike.

Skulker, however, was not going to give her the time to form a counter attack. He raised his gun, a blue beam charging in the barrel aimed straight at Danny.

Yet he did not even get the chance to gloat over his victory. At that moment a large, glowing green vulture swooped down on him, followed by a veritable horde of grossly mutated animal ghosts. Danny and Sam could only sit and stare in shock as the hunter screeched in terror, attempting to fight off the sudden onslaught of angry, furry demons.

Amidst the chaos there came a beeping, and Skulker's jetpacks burst from his suit of their own accord, firing the cursing hunter off into the air. To Sam and Danny's amusement, the furry horde chased relentlessly after him.

Tucker came running over, his red beret askew and panting heavily.

"Sorry…got it..eventually!" he gasped out, then stared in shock at his two friends rolling around with laughter.

"Did you see that beaver one? It was chewing on his leg like a tree trunk!" Danny exclaimed, eyes watering with mirth. Sam was freeing herself from the slowly-disintegrating net, useless now that its power source was far away. She laughed, "Yeah! And the three-eyed rabbit that was clawing at his face, that was priceless. How did you manage that, Tucker?"

The confused techno-geek could only stare at her blankly, "What are you talking about? I only told the suit to 'return home.' " He protested.

Sam got to her feet, finally free. "Well then I guess all of Skulker's bad hunting karma finally caught up to him."

Danny retrieved his and Sam's backpacks from where they'd had to ditch them when Skulker attacked.

"Whatever they were, I'm glad they decided to attack now. Stupid Skulker…now all our stuff is soaked!" Danny shuffled through his backpack and groaned, "Including that essay Lancer made me re-do. Great. Think he'll believe the 'ghost ate my homework' excuse?"

Sam shook her head, taking a furtive glance around before allowing the bright rings to turn her human once more.

"No, but maybe once we get to school I can try and phase the water off. It's too bad everyone knows we walk to school, or I could phase it off of us, too." She commented.

Tucker was busy securing his PDA back into its waterproof case, but Danny eyed his soaked clothes and sighed. "This is just a great way to start the day."

Sam shrugged, yawning as she led the way to school, "Look at it this way, it probably can't get any worse."

* * *

If Sam had known how much the universe liked messing with her, she would have kept her mouth shut. As it was, her day was about to get far worse thanks to the two ghosts currently watching invisibly from a nearby alley.

"I don't get it, Johnny…does the ghost girl have some sort of morphing powers? How did she suddenly turn into that human girl?" Kitty demanded, peering through the haze of rain.

Her boyfriend shrugged, his eyes narrowed shrewdly as he watched the three teens walk away.

"I don't know, Kitten, but this must be how she's been hiding from all the ghosts after the bounty. Looks like we just got the upper hand."

He grinned, clapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "I say we follow them and see what else we can learn before we try and capture her. Think you can stand another day of high school?"

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Not like we ever went to class much anyway. Are you bringing that stupid shadow?" she asked grumpily.

Johnny shrugged. "Of course. He's my best weapon against that ghost girl." He winked at a shadowy corner of the alley, where a dark shape lurked, its blazing neon eyes returning the sly wink. Kitty huffed irritably, but climbed astride the motorcycle with Johnny. With a roar of the engine the two ghosts sped towards the school, the shadow they cast more deep and dark than was normal.

* * *

"Manson! That is not the proper way to execute an overhand serve and you know it! What is wrong with you today?" Ms. Tetslaff yelled for the fifth time, as Sam groggily missed the volleyball yet again. She yawned and shook her head, trying to clear some of her exhaustion.

"Sorry Ms. Tetslaff, just a little tired!" She called back, this time throwing the ball up only to miss and have it smack her directly in the face. Across the court several girls burst into shrill, mocking laughter, and Sam felt her face burn from embarrassment as well as the sting of the ball.

"Hey goth geek, what's wrong? Stay up all night kissing your loser boyfriend?" Paulina called out, accompanied by her usual posse of brainless admirers, all of which laughed loudly at her comment.

Sam felt her jaw tense, her face flushing even brighter. "I do not have a boyfriend! And Danny is not a loser!" She yelled back reflexively, then mentally winced at how contradictory that sounded, scolding herself. Such a statement only seemed to incite the girls further, and Sam could not honestly say they didn't have some ground to stand on. They had seen Danny kissing her before Ember's concert, after all, and no matter of denials or explanations could make that go away. She'd thought they would have let it die by now, but apparently all the time she'd spent the past week disappearing from class had incited some other, more detailed speculations on her so-called 'relationship' with Danny. The worst part was that while Paulina and her gang of followers might find it a cause for teasing, Danny seemed immune. She wasn't sure if it was just a guy thing, but apparently kissing (or other activities, judging from the rumors) with any kind of girl - even if it was the unpopular goth Sam Manson - seemed to raise him rather than lower him in the eyes of his male peers. Sam found that drastically unfair.

She took out her frustration on the next ball she served, this time hitting it so hard the popular girls across the court had to duck out of the way, shrieking shrilly. Sam allowed herself a grin, while Ms. Testlaff half-heartedly scolded her for being too rough. This small victory was barely enough to get Sam through the rest of gym class, and she hurried to change and get out of the locker room before anyone else had a chance to taunt her. She nearly ran into Danny and Tucker in her haste, both boys having just come from the guys locker room. They had their gym classes separate for certain sports, the administration believing mixing genders led to more injuries. Whether this was true or not…well, it had not stopped Star from getting a bloody nose from a well-placed spike from Sam.

"You okay Sam? You seem kind of..angrier than usual." Tucker commented as his friend stomped along, kicking a trashcan as they passed.

Sam glared. "Oh yeah, just peachy. I only had to deal with Paulina for an hour and a half making stupid comments."

Tucker winced, but to Sam's surprise, Danny was not sympathetic.

"Can't see what you're complaining about. At least Paulina didn't punch you in the gut, or soak your gym shorts in toilet water. _Dirty_ toilet water." Danny grumbled.

Sam lost a bit of her own annoyance to spare a glance at her friend.

"Why were they messing with you? I saw guys just this morning giving you high fives for the whole…fake-out thing." Sam responded, blushing a little at bringing up something the two of them had mutually chosen to pretend never happened.

Danny turned a little red, too, but his expression was miserable.

"It's not about that. My parents finished a new invention this morning, and I got stuck 'testing it out'." He lifted his shirt a little to reveal a large, silver belt with the signature circuitry of the Fenton inventions, glowing a subtle green.

"They call it the 'specter deflector' and its supposed to keep ghosts from overshadowing or touching me. Dash saw it in gym, and said it looked like something his mom would wear. It all went downhill from there."

Sam punched a fist into her hand, the jocks now earning her ire as well. "Ugh. Seriously sometimes I just want to teach those guys a lesson."

Tucker looked at her in surprise, "You'd use your powers to beat them up? Cool!"

Sam raised an eyebrow at him and snorted, "No, I meant I'd just give Dash a black eye. It wouldn't be a fair fight normally, let alone with ghost powers."

Danny and Tucker laughed at this, both knowing Sam's temper far too well to doubt the truth of her words. The three walked towards their upcoming English class, already more lighthearted now that they were in each other's company. They stopped at Danny's locker so their friend could retrieve his paper, dry now thanks to Sam's ghost powers. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the pack of jocks and hangers-on striding down the hallway towards them.

"Look its the loser-lovers! They're a perfect match because they both don't know how to dress!" Dash called out harshly. Their company of followers laughed mindlessly. Paulina put in her two-cents with her usual flare for shallow, petty insults.

"I'd say you guys should get a room, but I don't think the world could handle the amount of ugly of any baby you'd have."

Sam, bright red and now furious, stood to face Paulina, "You evil little b-"

"Don't talk to her that way!" Dash interrupted, showing a fleeting moment of hypocritical chivalry. Paulina shook her hair back from her flawless face,

"You want to start a fight, goth freak?" She demanded.

Sam, all set to beat the living daylights out of her established enemy, was held back by Danny.

"Just leave it, Sam. An air-head like her isn't worth wasting any energy on." he said firmly. It was surprise at this action more than anything that kept Sam from jumping the self-absorbed girl right that second. Danny had, for as long as she could remember, harbored a crush for the pretty, popular Paulina. Now here he was, telling her she wasn't worth it. A strange warmth spread through Sam suddenly and she took a deep breath, turning her back on the potential brawl.

Before she could thank Danny, Dash interrupted,

"If anyone is a waste of energy, it's you, Fentina!"

With those scathing words he shoved Danny hard in the shoulders, sending the much lighter boy reeling. Danny stumbled backwards just as Sam stepped up to put a stop Dash's assault. The result was far more than the jocks could have ever hoped for. Danny knocked Sam clean off of her feet, the two teens landing in a jumble on the floor. If that wasn't bad enough, the belt around Danny's waist suddenly flared to life, causing a painful electric shock to jolt through Sam at the contact. She screamed in pain and surprise, and Tucker -divining the nature of the situation far faster than Danny or Sam- leaped forward to pull them apart. Unfortunately, Dash caught him around the middle before he could get even a foot, throwing the techogeek into Danny's still open locker. The football crowd laughed uproariously at the sight of Danny, who had managed to get untangled from the girl but had unthinkingly grabbed her hand to help her up, causing Sam to be shocked once again.

"Looks like Fenturd's mommy made him a chastity belt!" Dash taunted, eyes streaming with his mirth. "He's not even allowed to touch his girlfriend!"

Sam soon realized that the bully's words were at least partially true. Danny couldn't touch her, but not because she was a girl, rather because she was a _ghost_. She flinched away from Danny, using the lockers to struggle to her feet instead of her friend's support. All of her nerves were on fire from the jolting shocks, and she could feel her hair crackling with static. Danny looked horrified, and immediately began trying to remove the specter deflector. This just caused even more amusement in the popular crowd.

"Ugh, I can't get it off. It's got some stupid lock and I don't have the key, it's at home." He apologized, but Sam waved it off.

To their right a door burst open, the balding, slightly overweight figure of their teacher Mr. Lancer hurrying towards the source of the commotion.

"Fareinheit 451! What is going on here people?" He demanded.

Dash's group hurried to look like civil students, making quick excuses while Danny carefully took a step away from Sam. Although still recovering from the electric shock, she ignored their less-than-helpful teacher's remarks and began trying to free Tucker from Danny's locker. Mr. Lancer shot them an accusatory glare, but to their relief did not start dishing out detentions. Instead, he began ushering students into the classroom, threatening extra homework to any late-comers.

Sam took the opportunity of their classmate's distraction to turn the edges of the locker intangible, and Tucker toppled out. Danny helped him to his feet, although Tucker flinched a little at Danny's touch.

"It's not going to hurt you, Tuck, it only hurts ghosts…and ghost-hybrids too, I guess. Sorry Sam."

The goth girl ,to her credit, tried to shake it off. "It's fine, just..you know…keep your distance." She said breathlessly, grabbing her fallen backpack quickly and heading towards the classroom. She was too distracted by the still stinging pain to notice the slightly hurt expression on Danny's face at her words.

* * *

Danny wasn't sure he'd ever endured a worse English class, and with Mr. Lancer as a teacher that was saying something. In addition to the usual spitballs and paper wads that peppered the back of his head every class, Danny now had to deal with the whispering taunts and jokes about the Specter Deflector and his supposed relationship with Sam. He felt his face burn hot just at the thought of some of the comments thrown their way. Seriously, some of his classmates really needed to get their minds out of the gutter, they were fourteen for crying out loud!

That was hardly the worst part, however. What bothered Danny more than the spitballs, insults, or lewd comments was the guilt that was weighing him down for what he'd done to Sam. It wasn't just the incident with the Deflector - that had been bad enough - but the whole mess he'd got them both into with his stupid fake-out make-out distraction. Sure, it might have kept their peers from seeing her transform, but it had been a stupid way to do it. Most of the popular crowd generally let Sam be out of fear of her temper, with the exception of the occasional comments from Paulina about her gothic style. Even those insults were usually so mild as to have Sam laughing at the girl's stupidity rather than not.

Now, with all of her unusual disappearances and her tired, worn-out demeanor, she was under a constant barrage of teasing that came from more than just the usual dimwitted cheerleaders. Sharing gossip, especially about possible relationships, was a favorite pastime among teenagers stuck in school for eight hours, so even people who normally would not have cared were suddenly taking an interest in this latest drama. That combined with the increased frequency of ghost attacks was taking its toll on Sam's patience.

What made Danny feel the most guilt, however, was that despite all of this, he could not help but think about how great it felt to have Sam's lips pressed against his, and -

"Fenton! Pay attention!" Mr. Lancer snapped, jolting Danny from his thoughts. He hoped his face was not as red as it felt, but from Tucker's raised eyebrow he was sure it was obvious.

"S-sorry mister Lancer. What was the question?" He asked blankly, trying to ignore the snickers from some of his classmates.

"Daydreaming about your _girlfriend_ lover-boy?" Someone's teasing whisper carried through the room. Danny tried valiantly not to show his embarrassment and refused to look anywhere near Sam.

Mr. Lancer evidently heard the comment as well, for he sighed before staring at the ceiling, apparently praying for patience. "I asked if you could summarize the latest chapter of Wuthering Heights, but I should have known that would be asking too much. Please keep your mind on the material, Mr. Fenton, and see me after class."

Danny slumped in his seat, staring at the book before him but not taking a word in. It didn't really bother him being told off by Lancer, he could deal with another extra essay or a detention. What he couldn't deal with were these weird feelings that kept popping into his head about Sam. She was his best friend, he shouldn't be thinking about kissing her! He tried to shove the thoughts aside, but could not help but glance briefly at Sam. She was clearly not paying any attention to the chapter either, but was instead doodling sleepily on a piece of notebook paper. She didn't have any spitballs in her hair, he was happy to see, rather it hung in a dark sheet in front of her face, hiding most of her expression from the world. Danny could see, though, that she looked more tired than usual, and knew the constant ghost fights were getting to her. He sighed, shifting his attention back to his book before she noticed his staring. All guilt aside, Danny wanted more than anything to be able to help his friend. He and Tucker had been perfecting some of the ghost weapons, but he wasn't sure how much help they would be in a fight. Danny couldn't help but remember how useless he'd been just this morning against Skulker. If it hadn't been for those strange ghost animals, he would be a pile of Fenton-dust right now.

The shrill ring of the bell cut across his preoccupied musings, and in the surge of the students hurrying to leave he saw Sam suddenly jump upright.

A purple vapor slipped from her lips and Danny tensed.

"Another ghost? Already?" Tucker mumbled across from them.

"I guess I'm more popular than I thought." Sam tried to joke, but Danny heard the weariness underneath the determination.

As Sam and Tucker hurried towards the exit, Danny quickly caught the techno-geeks arm and held him back.

"Help her out as much as you can, okay? I think she's more tired than she wants to admit. I'll be there as soon as I deal with Lancer." He mumbled.

Tucker nodded and rushed wordlessly past Danny. If Mr. Lancer noticed the weird exchange, he gave no sign of it. Instead, he turned a stern gaze on his wayward student.

"Mr. Fenton, I am concerned about your ability to focus in class lately." He began. Danny looked away, not having a viable reason for his inattention. Somehow he didn't think his teacher would believe him if he said he was worried about his best friend being carted off to the ghost zone and forced to be either the prisoner or bride of an evil dragon ghost. Before he could come up with a suitable excuse, however, Mr. Lancer surprised him.

"However, that is not the reason I asked you to stay." he finished.

Danny's brow furrowed in confusion, glancing skeptically at his teacher.

"No, what I really need to speak with you about is Ms. Manson. Her recent drop in attendance and poor grades are most unlike her. Not to mention she is falling asleep in class as much as you and Mr. Foley, lately."

Danny raised an eyebrow, "Why aren't you talking to her about this?" He wondered aloud.

To his amusement, Mr. Lancer blushed.

"Ms. Manson…is..well that is to say she….becomes rather offended when I ask her about this."

Danny hid a grin. It sounded to him as if their teacher were a bit intimidated by his friend's intensity. He couldn't really blame him, though. Sam was scary when she was angry.

Mr. Lancer cleared his throat and continued more firmly, "In addition, I find I sometimes get more truthful answers from friends and peers rather than the source. Is there anything going on in Ms. Manson's home life I should know about?"

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Look, Mr. Lancer. I know you're trying to do the whole concerned-teacher thing, but as Sam's friend I'm not going to go telling you all her problems and secrets. Sam can take care of herself, and if she needs help…that's what Tucker and I are for." He finished, avoiding his teacher's eyes. As true as his words were, he wished he was as convinced by them as he wanted to be.

Still, a balding middle-aged English teacher was not going to be any more help fighting ghosts than two much better equipped teenagers and their half-ghost friend, so Danny pushed his worry away.

The bell rang to signal the start of the next period, effectively ending the conversation.

"I understand, Mr. Fenton, but if this pattern continues I'll be forced to talk to Ms. Manson's parents." Mr. Lancer warned.

Danny nodded his understanding and hurried out of the classroom, intent on finding Sam and Tucker. There wasn't a ton of screaming kids running around, so he figured whatever ghost they were fighting was either easy enough that they'd beaten it already or had taken off outside. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and was about to send a text message to Tucker when an odd, eerie chill crept up his spine. He'd spend enough time around ghosts in the past couple weeks to know what the feeling heralded. He spun around just as the Specter Deflector surged to life, sending a wave of energy that only caused Danny's hair to stand on end, but that he knew would be very painful for a ghost.

His suspicions were confirmed when a ghost materialized in front of him with a shout of pain.

The ghost looked to Danny like some biker-punk out of some cheesy 80's movie, dressed in a trench coat and combat boots, with dark black gloves that were currently smoking from the effects of the Deflector.

Danny was forced to drop his phone (wincing as it clattered on the floor - his parents would kill him if it broke) in order to pull the ectopistol from his backpack fast enough to aim it at the biker-ghost.

"Nice try, but you'll have to do better if you want to sneak up on a Fenton!" he smirked, firing a ray at the unwitting ghost.

The biker dodged, glaring down at his opponent,

"Why can't I overshadow you?" He growled, more to himself than to Danny. The teen raised an eyebrow, firing another warning shot. The biker barely ducked, covering his head in his hands.

"Okay okay, I'm out of here, chill dude!" He spat out, suddenly turning intangible and soaring through the roof. Danny fired another shot after him, but the ghost had already vanished through the ceiling.

He stared at the place it disappeared, a frown on his face. "Why would he want to overshadow me in the first place?" Danny mumbled to himself. If the ghost was after Sam - like every other one they'd had attack this week - then why would he attack him? Nobody knew about Sam's human half except Aragon and Skulker. And only the latter knew she was friends with Danny and Tucker. Skulker did not strike Danny as the type that would hire lackeys to help him capture his prey, he was far too proud for that. But if the ghost wasn't after Sam, then what business did he have attacking random kids in Casper High?

Danny returned his ectopistol to his pocket and retrieved his phone, glad to see it wasn't damaged. The screen flashed with a message from Tucker, and he hurried to read it.

_Shadow ghost in science lab. Sam's ok but we could use help._

Danny sighed, shoving the phone next to his weapon as he took off down the hall. Looks like he'd be missing Geometry again.

* * *

The unpleasant smells wafting from the buckets of long-forgotten, murky floor sludge did nothing to sweeten Kitty's already sour mood. She had been waiting in this dingy, unused Janitor's closet for what felt like hours, and Johnny still wasn't back. He said it would take only a minute! She huffed and crossed her arms, wondering just how he'd managed to convince her to get involved in this mess in the first place. She didn't trust those stupid dragons to actually give them a reward even if they did catch the ghost girl. Aragon was a sneaky, pig-headed sleeze-bag who she was sure would sooner toss them in the dungeons to rot then give them anything. And what was so great about the ghost-girl, anyway? So what if she had a human disguise, there were other ghosts out there who could change shape or hide themselves in the human world. He couldn't possibly want her for that reason. If ghosts wanted to look like people they just had to overshadow them, it wasn't that hard. Even Johnny could do it, as he was basing most of his plan on overshadowing the ghost girl's friend. So what made the ghost girl so special?

Kitty irritably kicked a mop handle as she floated dejectedly. She knew Johnny didn't care about the reason, he just wanted the reward. She just wanted to go home.

At that moment the source of her troubles phased through the door, looking extremely disgruntled and entirely ghost.

"I thought you were going to overshadow the kid?" Kitty demanded.

Johnny groaned, flexing his hands and still marveling at the sting he could feel from the belt.

"The kid's got some kind of ghost-repelling belt. I couldn't even touch him." her boyfriend responded grumpily.

Kitty looked murderous. "Are you telling me I've been sitting in this stupid, smelly closet all day for nothing?"

Johnny winced, "Not nothing, Kitten. This is just a minor setback. I just have to figure out how to get to the other kid while the ghost girl is still distracted with Shadow…"

Kitty's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh no. You had your chance." She interrupted, "Besides, he probably has a belt too. I think its about time you let me make the plan."

Johnny gave her an incredulous look, "Yeah? What do you think would work better?"

Kitty flashed him a smirk, "You forget that I was a teenage girl once. I know exactly what will throw that bratty ghost girl off her guard."

* * *

Sam yanked Tucker out of the way just as a case of beakers smashed into the ground mere inches from him, courtesy of the obnoxious shadow-ghost that had been wreaking havoc in the science lab. Letting go of her paralyzed friend, she shot into the air, firing a few ectoblasts at the ghost for good measure. It darted away from them with a a fluid-like grace, the beams shattering yet more chemistry equipment.

Unfortunately, Danny chose that moment to open the lab door, narrowly missing the hail of glass.

"Everything okay Sam?" He called up, his tone almost teasing. Sam really wanted to punch him for that, or better yet - drop some preserved frog organs on his head. It was too bad the stupid shadow required all of her attention. It seemed that whatever the specter passed through became a death-trap. In a room full of dangerous chemicals and delicate equipment, 'death-trap' took on a very literal meaning.

Sam fired another quick volley of energy blasts to vent her frustration. Luckily, the shadow was momentarily distracted from Danny's entrance and did not dodge the beams as easily as before. The last blast clipped through the edge of its swirling mantle and the shadow screeched in agony.

Sam noticed the odd reaction and smirked.

"Tucker! Danny! I need you guys to find me something to magnify the beam!" She called down to her friends, hurrying to keep the shadow busy with another deadly chase around the room.

The teens scrambled below, dodging the rain of falling glass, cabinets, and biology textbooks in search of Sam's request. Tucker was the first to find it, a thick concave lens used in some of their science classes, miraculously unbroken despite being in box of items knocked from a high shelf. He tossed it up to Sam as she ducked a swipe of the shadow's claws.

"Catch!"

Sam caught the slick glass lens securely in her gloves, thanking every one of her lucky stars that she had better hand-eye coordination than most girls her age.

"Alright shadow, lets see how you like this!" She taunted, holding the lens upright, aiming a single ray of her ghost energy through the lens. The shadow came right for the bait, flying straight into the magnified beam of energy. Golden light spilled outward in a brilliant wave, engulfing the shadow and bathing the room in rich amber tones. The shadow shrieked in pain and fury, the light too much for it to bear. It separated into an insubstantial mist, seeping away through the walls. Sam let her energy fade, sinking slowly back to the science lab floor. The room seemed much darker after the surge of light. Sam settled to her feet with an exhausted sigh, letting the rings of her transformation wash over her. Danny and Tucker were already picking their way to the door, avoiding piles of broken lab equipment.

"Well, _that_ was interesting. Do you think you….destroyed it or something?" Tucker wondered aloud, in reference to the shadow's departure.

Sam winced at the thought, not liking the idea of killing things even if they were evil…or already dead. Danny must have noticed the look on her face, for he was quick to reassure her.

"I think it just lost all its energy, it probably just ran away to collect its power again." He offered, but did not sound at all assured by his idea.

Sam shrugged, deciding it was hardly worth the extra worry. "Well if it comes back at least we know how to get rid of it. I guess we'd better get back to class."

Just as she turned towards the door, someone else opened it from the outside.

"Hi, Sam! I was hoping you were still here!"

There was no mistaking that distinctive accent or the sickeningly cheerful tone, but Sam could still not believe those words had come out of the girl's mouth. Paulina stood in the doorway, clearly herself from her usual overpriced wardrobe, flawless skin, and shining dark hair - and yet Sam was sure this could not be Paulina, for she was looking at Sam not with the usual disdain like she'd stepped in dog poo, but with a perfectly genial, happy smile.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything. I know we haven't always got along, but we can change that, right? I'm having a sleepover tomorrow night and I want to invite you! Consider it a truce!" She continued, apparently oblivious to the impact these words and her demeanor had on the girl before her. She handed Sam a card decorated in sickly sweet hearts, flowers, and Sayonara Kitty Cat stickers, then grinned, waved to Danny and Tucker, and walked away.

* * *

"She's clearly being possessed!" Sam insisted for the fifth time, her voice rising with her impatience. Her outburst earned her a few annoyed glances from the table next to them, but she hardly cared. The three friends were cloistered in their usual booth at the Nasty Burger, trying to make sense of the strange events earlier that day.

"Not possessed, Sam, _overshadowed_." Danny corrected, munching on his basket of fries with an amused expression on his face.

"Clearly. I mean, otherwise why in the world would Paulina, the most popular girl in school, invite you - the _least_ popular girl in school - to a sleepover?" Tucker asked rhetorically, his face too full of Nasty burger to see the venomous glare Sam shot him at his unintended insult.

The goth girl forgave him, though, as she was too worked up about the implications of this latest development.

"Why would a ghost overshadow Paulina just to invite me to a sleepover? What ghost even knows my identity?" Sam demanded, sipping on her soy-shake.

Danny frowned, biting his lip. He leaned across the table a little, keeping his voice low.

"I think someone other than Skulker and Aragon might have found out. Right after I left Lancer's today some ghost tried to overshadow me, but the belt kept him away. I kind of forgot with the whole Paulina thing, but it makes sense now. It's got to be some sort of trap." He shook his head with a small smile, "Although, if it is it's a pretty bad one."

Sam nodded in agreement, "Yeah, like a ghost could sneak up and overshadow any member of the Fenton family…well…your dad excluded."

Danny grinned half-heartedly. "Actually, I meant that any ghost would think you'd be so shallow as to go to one of Paulina's parties just because she's popular."

Sam flushed pink and hurriedly took another sip of her shake. Tucker looked between the two, who were determinedly not looking at each other, then snorted and pulled out his PDA.

"You guys are both clueless." He mumbled to himself, before saying more loudly,

"Okay, so what if it's a trap? We can't exactly let a ghost run around in Paulina's body? What if it hurts her?"

Sam could care less about what the ghost did to Paulina, but she saw something else wrong.

"Agh! If that ghost knows my human identity, it could blab it to anyone as Paulina!"

Danny and Tucker's eyes widened, finally realizing the implications. Suddenly, Danny burst out laughing, nearly knocking over his fries in his mirth.

"What's so funny?" Sam demanded, as Tucker eyed his friend as if worried for his sanity.

Danny could hardly get the words out through his chuckling, "You…hahaha…you have to - save Paulina…by going to her sleepover!"

At these words Tucker quickly joined in the laughter, especially at the look of horror frozen on Sam's face. Danny was right. If she wanted to keep the ghost from revealing her secret, she had to act as if nothing was wrong until she could get it out of Paulina. That meant going to her sleepover. That meant _saving_ the most obnoxious, self-centered girl in school.

"Irony is so cruel." Sam grumbled, dropping her head onto the tabletop.

" 'From even the greatest of horrors irony is seldom absent.' " A voice quoted from over their shoulder.

All three teens looked up to see the red hair and usual chipper expression of Danny's sister, Jazz. Sam glowered at the older girl, but Danny beat her to it.

"What do you want, Jazz? We're kind of busy here." He said a touch defensively, and Sam could tell it was more worry over his sister's prying than anything.

"While I'd love to know what you guys are plotting over - stay away from the ghost weapons, but the way - I came to get you, Danny, because Mom and Dad want us home ASAP for some reason, and you weren't answering your phone." she retorted, looking haughty.

Danny raised an eyebrow at her and pulled his phone out of his pocket, only to find the ectopistol had leaked glowing green ectoplasm all over it.

"Ah, oops. Guess these things still need some work, Tuck." He said offhandedly, ignoring his sister's shocked look.

"Danny! You can't bring those things out in public!" Jazz exclaimed, but her brother only shrugged. Sam decided now would be a good time to cut in.

"It's fine, Jazz, we were just using them in a science project. I want to see if the ectoplasm can be used as an alternative energy source to save the environment." she cut in hurriedly.

Jazz looked no more convinced than she had been by Tucker and Danny's excuses, but she seemed to decide to let it drop. Unfortunately for Sam, she picked an even worse topic to replace it with.

"You still shouldn't bring them to school. You guys have enough rumors going around about you without adding ghost hunting weapons to the mix. Which, by the way, I wanted to ask if you two are actually dating now, because I heard you kissed and - "

"Okay! For the last time, Sam and I are not together!" Danny interrupted quickly, his cheeks flaming red. Sam knew her own face was burning and focused steadily on the tabletop.

Jazz raised an eyebrow at them both, but Tucker shook his head at her, clearly warning her not to push it further. The older girl sighed, shifting her grip on her backpack.

"Fine, whatever. Now c'mon, Danny, we need to go. Mom was frantic that we get home before dinner."

Danny reluctantly rose from the table to follow after Jazz, but just as he stood up Sam felt the familiar burning sensation in her chest, followed by the telltale wisp of purple.

Jazz stared. "Woah, Sam, are you okay? What was that?" She asked, eyes wide with shock.

Sam could only stare at her, terrified, while Tucker and Danny were struck dumb.

Luckily, her friends were quick to recover.

"It's breath spray I made! Supposed to be good for getting rid of that vegetable smell!" Tucker jumped in quickly, whipping out an aerosol can of who-knows-what for emphasis, blocking the label with his hand. Before Jazz could get a closer look, Danny had grabbed her wrist and was practically dragging her towards the door.

"Yep, breath spray! Weird side effect, though - must have been those soy melts, huh Sam?" He shot over his shoulder.

Sam could only nod, feeling her heart slowly stop trying to explode.

"Let's go, Jazz! See you tomorrow guys!" Danny finished hurriedly, ushering his older sister from the restaurant before she could get another word in edgewise.

As soon as they were out of sight, Sam regained some of her senses.

"Stupid ghost-sense!" She cursed, jumping to her feet, "I swear if this is that stupid box-ghost again and he nearly caused me my secret…"

Tucker eased out of the booth as well, offering her a thermos from his backpack.

"Then you can beat the crap out of him and pretend its Paulina." He offered, grinning despite being shaken by the near-miss.

Sam accepted the Fenton thermos and headed for the back door to the alley, calling over her shoulder.

"Thanks for the motivation, Tuck. Call you if I need help!"

Eager not to risk anyone else seeing her breathe purple mist, Sam hurried out the door and ducked behind a dumpster, transforming quickly. She shot into the air, scanning the area for signs of the Box Ghost, or more likely, that annoying shadow from earlier.

Everything appeared calm, the streets empty except for the few pedestrians on their way home for dinner.

"Show yourself you stupid ghost!" Sam shouted. She was already tired from the day's fights, she just wanted to get this over with and go home. She did not have the patience to deal with sneaky, invisible idiots ruining her day.

Hot, humid air abruptly brushed past Sam's ear in a rush of what sounded like…panting?

Sam whirled around, only to find herself face to face with not the shadow or the Box Ghost or even Skulker, but instead a towering figure covered in thick, dark hair, gleaming fangs bared in a deadly leer, inches from her face.

Sam did not even have time to scream.

* * *

After dragging Jazz away from Sam, Danny was forced to endure the car ride with an uncomfortably inquisitive sister, desperately trying to deflect her questions around Sam's unusual behavior.

"It was just breath spray, okay Jazz? Just drop it." He said for the third time. Jazz snorted, but kept her eyes on the road.

"Okay, fine. Breath spray. But why would Sam even want to use something like that? Oh…wait…have you guys been kissing again?" she concluded, in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice that made Danny cringe.

"We have not been kissing! It was one time, and that wasn't real it was just because - " He swallowed his next words, suddenly realizing he couldn't defend himself. Not without telling Jazz why it was so important to hide Sam.

"Just because what? You either kissed or you didn't Danny." She sighed, sending a quick, exasperated glance towards her brother before pulling into the driveway.

"I don't get it. You like Sam, don't you?"

Danny sputtered and choked, his face flaming as he hurried to deny Jazz's words. His sister was supremely unconvinced.

"I thought so. If you like her then why don't you just tell her? If you guys have kissed already that has got to mean she feels something for you. You can't just leave things the way they are, Danny, you have to define the relationship!"

At these words Danny hurried to fling himself from the car, hardly waiting for Jazz to cut the engine. He hurried to the front door, Jazz hot on his heels.

"There is no relationship, Jazz! We're just friends and that's all! Can't you just drop it?" he insisted, glaring at his sister as he pushed the door open.

Jazz opened her mouth to reply, but stopped suddenly, staring warily past Danny.

He turned to see what had captured his sister's attention and froze.

"Ah, you must be young Daniel and miss Jasmine! It is so nice to finally meet you!" A silky, genteel voice rolled out.

A tall man with silver-gray hair pulled neatly away from his face stared down at the two teens, a coldness in his blue eyes that did not match his smile. Danny didn't need the man to introduce himself, he had gotten a good enough description from Sam to recognize him instantly. He was more concerned with what the heck the Wisconsin billionaire Vladimir Masters was doing standing in his house.

* * *

**A/N: Aaaagh. A thousand apologies for getting this done so freaking late. I have been working on it in little bits but it wasn't going at all how I wanted and then Real Life got nasty-Real. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up much sooner, but I'll be moving out to who-knows-where at some point in the next month and not sure exactly what my internet situation will be. I'll be writing, but posting may come later. I did not get as far in this chapter as I wanted, but I figured I should not make you guys wait any longer. I hope this does not feel like filler.  
**

**Reviews & such: **

**panfan87 - Thank you so much! I have been trying to keep the style similar to the show, I'm glad you like it! There will be more episode mash ups to come, as I have been kind of reinventing the episode timeline as I go. **

**Hellbreaker - Thanks for your steady reviews, I appreciate your support! I agree that Sam's parents seem pretty useless, and she even comments in the Control Freaks episode that they don't have day jobs. And Vlad is sneaky...very very sneaky. **

**Artn'Music - Aww Thank you! You are x10 awesome for saying that! The idea of a younger male Sam clone is pretty darn funny. I don't know if I could fit it in this story, but it sounds like it might be fun to draw. We'll see :) I guess we'd have to call him Sam as well...for Samuel? **

**And Cat21981 got it right, the episode title was from Dragonball Z. I suck at titles, so I may borrow things from time to time. Credit where it is due! **

**Thank you all for your support, and thanks to everyone who follows/favorites as well!**

**(At the risk of lying to you guys again :P) Up Next: Danny and Tucker have some bro-bonding, even if it is with ghosts; Vlad hits on Maddie (no surprise there); and Sam learns the dangers of sleepovers.  
**

**P.S. Whoever knows who Jazz is quoting without looking it up is the king/queen of all random quotes. You get tons of coolness points. **


	10. Ch 9 - Wulf in Sheep's Clothing

**Episode 9 - Wulf in Sheep's Clothing**

Danny wasn't sure exactly what it was that made him instantly dislike Vlad Masters. Maybe it was the constant poorly-concealed insults the man fired at his dad and attempted to mask as jokes. Maybe it was the even less subtle passes he made at his mom, or the condescending way he treated both himself and Jazz. Or it was the simple fact that the man clearly had such an over-inflated sense of self importance that anyone stuck in a room with him for a few minutes would want to punch him.

Whatever the reason, Danny quickly found himself trying to come up with excuses to leave the table, where his parents had insisted the whole family sit down and have an excruciatingly long dinner with their old college pal.

"-And then when you added the wrong reagent and set fire to Maddie's coat like some sort of brainless oaf! I had to put it out and practically saved her life!" Vlad finished, laughing loudly like it was some sort of hilarious anecdote. Jack, the ever naive and trusting friend, took it as such and laughed along with Vlad.

Danny glared daggers at the man and clenched his fork so tightly the metal left deep imprints on his palm. Even his mom seemed to notice the insult this time - if her rapid change in topic was any indication.

"So, Vlad, what brings you to Amity Park? I didn't think there were any of your businesses way out here." She interjected smoothly.

The suave billionaire wiped a fake tear of mirth from his eye and smiled at Maddie in a way that made Danny want to shove the fork right into his _stupid_ -

"Ghosts, my dear, what else?" He replied, something shining in his cold eyes. "I have heard so much about the recent apparitions around here…including rumors of some kind of ghostly teenage girl fighting them off."

The answer made Danny freeze, his previous anger washed away by an icy flood of worry. He tried to remember how to breathe and hurried to take a sip of his soda to mask his nervousness.

"Oh yeah, the ghost girl! We think she's newly formed and still tryin' to figure out a haunt. Haven't got the chance to capture her yet, but we will!" Jack enthused, his booming voice causing Vlad to wince slightly.

The man adopted an introspective look that seemed slightly off to Danny.

"That may explain why the creature was in my mansion. However it seems odd that she would venture so far from her origin point. Unless…have you managed to finally complete the portal to the Ghost Zone?"

Danny couldn't help it, he choked on his swallow of soda. Jazz gave him an odd look, but Danny ignored it. He was too focused on his heart hammering in his ears. _How did this guy know about the portal? Why did he think it was relevant to Sam? _

Maddie shared in her husbands pride this time, both elder Fentons excitedly explaining about their work. Danny tuned them out, his attention all for Vlad Masters' reaction. The man showed far more interest in this topic than he had for the entire meal, especially considering Jack was the one doing most of the talking.

"…We had all the calculations right, but it still didn't work! We gave up on it for a whole day, but then - you won't believe it - the next night it was up and running perfectly!" Jack finished, looking like a kid who'd won his first medal at a science fair.

Vlad raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really? And you had no success at all with the trail run? Not even any…accidents, or - I daresay - explosions?"

There was a cold expression on his face, but Danny was more worried about the question. It was almost like Masters _knew _that the portal had malfunctioned.

"We did have to restart the power grid," Jazz suddenly interrupted. "Danny and his friends shut it down when they were working on their science project in the lab."

Danny felt himself pale as all eyes in the room focused on him. He felt his pulse race as he mentally reminded himself to vandalize every one of Jazz's journals for her complete and utter betrayal.

He forced himself to remain calm and raised his eyes, meeting Master's scrutinizing gaze. He felt his breath catch at the look - it was cold and calculating and all too knowing. He tried to keep his expression neutral, to give nothing away - although why he felt this was so vital he couldn't explain.

"What? You know you're not supposed to be in the lab unsupervised, sweetie." Danny's mom commented sternly. Jack, however, focused on the other part of Jazz's statement.

"That might have jumpstarted the current! Hey, Son, did you notice if the portal - " The man began to ramble, but the cornered teen had quickly tuned him out.

Feeling light-headed from the turn this conversation had taken, Danny decided now was the time to make a quick exit.

"Hey! I think I hear my phone ringing. I bet it's Tucker - he really needed my help with math homework tonight. Nice meeting you Mr. Masters." He rattled off in a nervous rush of words, jumping up from the table and darting away before his parents could call him back. He knew that probably looked suspicious and his parents would most likely get on his case later for his bad manners, but Danny had to do something fast to get away from Masters before the man learned any more.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he grabbed his somewhat-functional cellphone from his room and then, on second thought, took the ladder to the roof of the Ops center. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and the kitchen as possible to avoid being overheard. He knew he was being more than paranoid, but something in Masters' cold tone and pointed questions told Danny his caution wasn't unjustified.

Once safely on the roof, he hit the speed dial for Sam and began rapidly pacing as he waited for her to pick up.

_"Danny! I've been trying to call you forever! The weirdest thing happened with these ghosts…_"

"Masters is in my house!" Danny interrupted hurriedly, his jumpiness making him impatient.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

_"Vlad Masters? Well that's kinda weird Danny, but he did say he was friends with your parents. Are you okay? You sound really worked up." _Sam's voice echoed back, sounding slightly hoarse.

"Uh yeah I'm worked up! The guy spent all night hitting on my mom and making my dad look like an idiot and then he goes and brings up the portal, almost like he _knows_ it malfunctioned. Oh, _and_ he's super suspicious of the 'ghost girl'!" Danny ranted in a rush, increasing his worried pacing.

There was sharp intake of breath on Sam's end.

_"Okay, so that's bad. But there's no way he could know the portal would give someone ghost powers, right? We've still got that._"

Even over the phone, Danny could hear the nervousness in her tone. He tried to calm down and think clearly. It wouldn't do to get Sam as worked up as he was. Maybe he was overreacting, Masters was probably just interested in the portal for what it was - an outstanding breakthrough in modern science as a passageway to another dimension. Still, Danny couldn't help but be plagued by dark thoughts of Masters somehow discovering Sam's secret and getting her locked in some lab of his being subjected to all sorts of horrible experiments….

Sam coughed lightly into the phone, jerking Danny from his rapidly spiraling paranoia.

"Are you okay? Your voice sounds odd." He asked in concern.

_"Yeah, having a ghost werewolf's claws around your neck can do that to a person." _Sam mumbled nonchalantly back.

"WHAT?" Danny yelled into the receiver, then hurried to lower his voice, "What happened?

_"Well, after you guys left the Nasty Burger I went to catch the ghost. I didn't see anything at first and then before I know it this giant hairy werewolf-ghost was practically strangling me. That's when it got weird, though. The wolf-thing tried to say something but it was some strange language, I couldn't tell what it was. Before I could do anything about it that shadow from earlier showed up, and went straight for the werewolf. They started fighting and didn't even seem to notice I was still there. I was just about to suck them both into the thermos when some sort of collar thing shocked the werewolf, and he took off. The shadow disappeared, too. It didn't even try and attack me." _

Danny slumped against the Ops Center rail, feeling his tension ebb.

"That is weird, but I'm just glad you're okay. Maybe that werewolf ghost - "

He paused, suddenly, hearing the faint sound of shoes on metal, like someone was climbing the ladder to the roof.

"Ah, I gotta go, Sam - someone's coming. Be careful, okay?" He added quickly, having just enough time to hang up before the hatch opened.

* * *

It was hard to tell who was more surprised, the dark haired teenager or the usually impeccable billionaire that interrupted him. However, Vlad Masters was never one to be decomposed for long. He smoothed the confusion from his expression and fixed a warm smile on his face, addressing the shocked boy with a patient, paternal air.

"Ah, Daniel, sorry to interrupt you, I was just coming up for a bit of fresh air before bed. I do find the night air relaxing, don't you?"

He was hardly surprised by the boy's hostile, suspicious glare. The child was clearly hiding something. Was it possible he knew his friend's secret?

Vlad contemplated this as the teenager hurried past him.

"Uh yeah. Sure. Anyway, I gotta go to bed. School tomorrow. Bye." Danny excused himself quickly, before darting down the ladder like a frightened deer.

Daniel was suspiciously jumpy….or perhaps he was merely intimidated by Vlad's presence. It wasn't a surprise, he _was_ named the most influential man of the century by Billionaire Magazine.

Vlad chuckled to himself at the thought. As if some simple Magazine editors could truly grasp the extent of his _real_ influence! Money may be power in the weak, human world, but Vlad was looking for a deeper power, one that would extend far beyond the mortal realm. If his current schemes went according to plan, it would not be long before he achieved just that.

The dark calm of the night suddenly rippled, a jarring electric feeling sparking through the air molecules a moment before a green light erupted behind Vlad, illuminating the rooftop for a brief moment.

The billionaire glanced nonchalantly over his shoulder.

"Ah, Wulf. On time for once, I see. I really should thank Walker for the collar, it seems to be doing wonders for your training."

The hulking figure of a ghostly werewolf stepped through the portal its long claws had rent in the night air, approaching the man with green eyes blazing with resentment and fury. A deep snarl rolled from the creature's fanged muzzle, but Vlad seemed hardly concerned.

"…Although clearly nothing for your temper." he added tauntingly. Then his tone promptly returned to business.

"Now, what is your report on the girl?"

Wulf looked away, his fangs now clenched shut with the tension of his jaw. He remained stubbornly silent.

Vlad's eyes narrowed dangerously. He swiftly pulled back his left sleeve, a metal band encircling his wrist that matched the design of the werewolf's collar. The ghost's green eyes widened fearfully at the sight of the device, but Vlad did not wait for any apologies. With the press of a button the collar crackled to life, a heavy ectoplasmic charge surging from the circuits into the unfortunate ghost, causing Wulf to howl in pain.

Vlad didn't linger over the torment - he was more interested in getting complete obedience and answers when demanded. He considered himself far too sophisticated than to take enjoyment in the pain of a simple-minded beast.

He released the button quickly, letting the werewolf regain its senses before demanding once again, "Your report?"

Still panting heavily from the shock, Wulf reported in words chased by a growl, _"Mi trovis ŝin. Ŝi estas ĉiam kun du junaj viroj, nur lasante ilin por batali en niaj afablaj. Ili scias, ŝi estas hibrida ." (1)_

Despite the unusual language, the billionaire had no trouble understanding the ghost.

"Ah, as I suspected, the boy does know of his friend's abilities. Young Daniel seemed rather jumpy at dinner; that would explain it. I'm surprised he would be so willing to accept what she is, considering his parent's vendetta…." Vlad trailed off, musing aloud. It was interesting that the son of two such adamant ghost hunters would be friends with a half-ghost, but he _was_ a teenager after all. They were usually rebellious and foolish as a rule.

"I can't have her little friends making a mess of things, especially if they drag the Fentons into it. I will have to make sure they are occupied as well when I collect her. For now, Wulf, you will continue to follow the girl. I want to make sure no opportunistic ghosts manage to capture her beforehand. My other _pets_ will be rather busy, so you will be on your own."

With that order issued, the werewolf understood himself dismissed. Eager to escape the presence of the hybrid that bound him, he unleashed long, deadly claws, digging them into the empty air like it was fabric. Just as Wulf prepared to step through the newly made portal, Vlad stopped him.

"Oh, and if you attempt to warn the girl or speak with her again, I assure you the results will not be pleasant for either of you." The billionaire hissed, his eyes flashing ghostly red for a moment, the exposed metal band on his wrist glinting in the moonlight.

The werewolf flattened his ears and growled low in his chest, but nodded reluctantly. The lingering pain still jolting through his nerves was enough of a reinforcement of his master's threat.

* * *

The bell rang shrill and loud, snapping Sam's attention back to earth with a horrible nauseating bluntness. It took the girl a moment to remember why she was dreading the end of the school day so much, until she caught sight of the latina girl across the room giving her a sickeningly cheery wave. She had been trying to get the girl alone all day, hoping to force the ghost out of her before she was in turn forced to go through with this ridiculous sleepover. Unfortunately, it seemed Paulina's usual popularity kept her shrouded in a cloud of admirers and clingy wanna-bees, all attempting to gain some sort of status from their proximity to her. Just the thought made Sam both sick and extremely irritated. Luckily, Danny and Tucker appeared at her desk at that moment, unknowingly keeping their friend from jumping up and punching the still-grinning overshadowed girl right in her flawless face.

"Okay, so I stayed up all last night coming up with the perfect surveillance plan!" Tucker began enthusiastically, holding out what looking like a cheap pair of sunglasses with a suspiciously thick bridge across the nose.

Sam rolled her eyes as Danny stifled laughter, shoving the glasses back towards the techno-geek before he could continue.

"For the last time, Tucker, I am not letting you spy on a girl's sleepover!" She snapped.

Tucker looked momentarily disappointed, then brightened.

"Alright, then what about an audio feed? I could increase the range for the Fenton-phone mic and we could - "

"No!"

Danny laughed as the three made their way out of the school, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Just give it up, Tuck. Sam's not going to let us within thirty yards of Paulina's house." He paused a minute, frowning over at Sam. "Although I think we need to remember this _is_ a trap, after all. Tucker and I should be nearby in case you need us. You've got the thermos, right?"

Sam shot Danny a condescending look. "I've got the thermos, an ecto-pistol, the Fenton-phones, _another_ thermos, and the specter deflector - although I'm not sure why I need that."

"It should, in theory, force the ghost out of Paulina if you can get her to wear it. That way you don't have to risk hurting her." Danny pointed out helpfully.

The goth girl shrugged indifferently, hardly concerned with the physical well being of the popular princess, just as long as she didn't start spewing her secret everywhere. The overshadowed girl had seemed perfectly normal all day, not even giving away a hint of her true intentions. Sam would have thought the ghost had just up and left, unable to put up with the girl's sheer stupidity any longer, except for the fact that Paulina was still being nice to her. The popular crowd had apparently decided her attitude was part of a new plot to humiliate Sam somehow, and the girls invited to the sleepover were looking forward to seeing their idol torment the goth-freak. If there was one thing she was looking forward to in this mess, it was the chance to prove them wrong and seeing their terrified faces when a ghost fight erupted in the middle of their party.

These thoughts buoyed her above the dread that she was walking into the lair of the enemy as she headed down the block toward Paulina's house.

"Hey Sam?" Tucker said suddenly, breaking the girl out of her vengeful thoughts.

Irritated, Sam grumbled in response, "For the last time, Tucker, you can't spy on us!"

"No, its…what did you say that werewolf ghost looked like again?" He squeaked back, the fear evident in his voice.

Danny and Sam both spun around to see Tucker pointing weakly at a figure floating behind them. Sam felt her blood chill as the purple mist escaped her mouth. It was highly unnecessary, it would have been hard to miss the towering, dark-furred creature with the glowing green eyes and claws as long as her arm.

"Like that." She mumbled back, stunned for a few seconds.

"Uh…Sam?" Danny reminded hesitantly, and the girl suddenly blinked, remembering she had a job to do. She shoved her backpack into Danny's hands and dove behind the nearest parked car, transforming quickly.

Almost as soon as she was in the air the werewolf ghost had lunged at her, knocking them both to the ground where the creature's massive claws held her pinned against the road.

To Sam's immense surprise the beast didn't immediately try and maul her face. Instead, his green eyes widened in a strange way, and he spoke in a deep husky voice filled with an odd urgency.

_"Aŭskultu! Mia sinjoro ĉasi vin, vi devas kaŝi! Li estas - " _(2)

The werewolf reeled back suddenly, his words cut off by the crackle of electricity as the collar on his neck came alive, sending painful jolts of power through the helpless ghost. Sam was able to get free, but did not immediately attack. She watched the creature struggling against the pain and felt a rising anger, although it was not directed at the ghost.

One of the things Sam couldn't stand - even more than the morning sun, her parents, or people who didn't recycle - was cruelty to any kind of animal. True, this was a ghost, and humanoid enough that it could speak, but in Sam's opinion that only made it worse.

As the jolt from the collar died, all the girl saw was a poor creature being abused, and a sentient one at that. Unfortunately, her friends still saw a massive, dangerous ghost that was way too close to their friend.

Tucker had already aimed an ecto-pistol at the spectral werewolf while Danny had whipped a thermos out of Sam's backpack, using it on the ghost before Sam had a chance to stop him. The werewolf was sucked into the tiny trap, growling in surprise.

"Danny!" Sam shouted, rounding on the unsuspecting boy who was quickly capping the device, looking relieved.

"Whew, that guy was super creepy….lucky we had the thermos right here!"

"Let him out! Didn't you see he was being hurt?" Sam insisted, transforming back to herself in her distraction (luckily the street was deserted, but it still alarmed her friends).

Tucker raised an eyebrow, "Uh, Sam… we also saw it about to claw your eyes out! This isn't some stray dog, its a ghost!"

The goth girl glared fiercely at the two boys, who wilted under her impassioned fury.

"_He_ was clearly being hurt by that collar, probably being controlled by it. He was trying to tell me something right before it came on…"

Her tone softened, suddenly becoming thoughtful. "It sounded like he was trying to warn me of something."

Danny and Tucker shared a skeptical glance, but decided it was better not to invoke their friend's activist-wrath further.

"Alright, how about this - " Danny offered, not wanting to get Sam angry again. "We'll take the werewolf ghost back to my house, we can let it - _him_ - out in the ghost containment cell. Then we'll try and get the collar off him before putting him back in the ghost zone. Okay?"

This barely mollified the annoyed girl, but she couldn't waste too much more time arguing. She was supposed to be at a party right now. She shuddered with the thought that it was _Paulina's_ party, but if she wanted her secret safe it was a necessary evil.

"Fine. Just…let me know if you can get it off. I've got to go to this…ugh…sleepover."

Tucker and Danny grinned, their humor returning at remembering the amusing situation their friend was in. Not even the thought of dealing with a possibly dangerous werewolf could make that situation any less funny.

After one last check of equipment, in which Danny finally convinced Sam to wear the modified Fenton-phone earpiece just in case, the three parted ways, all fervently wishing they could trade places.

A dark shadow flitted from a nearby alley as the two boys headed for Fenton Works, paying no attention to the roar of a motorcycle coming to life from behind them.

* * *

Sneaking into the lab proved to be much easier than Danny had expected. He and Tucker found the house empty upon their return, with nothing but a note taped to the inside of the door in explanation.

_Dear Jazz and Danny, _

_Reports of vulture ghosts terrorizing the pier - be back late. Dinner is in the fridge, eat without us. _

_Love, _

_Mom& Dad_

_P.S. Watch out for the grapes - they bite. _

Tucker sniggered at the note, but Danny took it seriously. He had too much experience with ecto-contaminated food not to.

"Jazz must still be at school, I think she was tutoring until six today." Danny mused aloud, gesturing for Tucker to follow him to the lab. The techno geek turned to shut the door and suddenly shivered.

"It's kinda cold in here…did your parents jack up the A.C.?" Tucker questioned, locking the door and following after Danny.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Feels fine to me. Maybe you're getting sick?" He offered, making his way down the stairs towards the large clear cell his parents had only recently perfected to hold ghosts.

Tucker looked insulted. "I don't get sick, Danny. My high-protein all-meat diet keeps me in top condition."

Danny snorted in laughter, "Don't let Sam hear you say that. Besides, didn't you have a cold like, just last week?" He countered, taking the full thermos from his backpack. He fitted it to the receiving slot of the chamber's wall, making sure the cell was secure before hitting the 'release' button on the thermos.

Whatever Tucker's counter argument was, it died on his lips as the two boys watched a ray of light shoot from the thermos, a cloud of green energy escaping and solidifying into the frightening werewolf.

To their surprise the ghost did not immediately start attempting to claw their eyes out or escape. Instead, as soon as he got sight of his surroundings and the two boys, he began rapidly speaking in that same strange language, his tone fervent and tense.

Tucker's brow furrowed, "Hey…I think he might be speaking Esperanto…"

Danny blinked at him, "Esper-what? Is that like pig-latin or something?"

"It's an artificial language; it was made in hopes of creating a national language that would be neutral to all cultures - encourage world peace and all that." Tucker clarified, gazing at the werewolf with a puzzled look.

Danny felt the same way. What was a werewolf ghost doing speaking something like that?

"Can you understand it at all? It looks like whatever he's saying is pretty important - " Danny began to ask, before the werewolf's frantic ranting was suddenly interrupted by a sharp crackle of electricity. The metal collar around his neck activated once again, causing the ghost to whine in pain and drop to all fours, trembling with the force shooting through the device. Once the electricity died away he was still panting from the lingering effects of the collar, slumped to the floor of the cell, staring up at the two boys in a haze of pain.

Danny felt a surge of sympathy rise in him at that tortured look, even if it did belong to a dangerous ghost. He sighed, turning reluctantly to his techno-geek friend.

"Tucker, we've got to get that collar off. It's just…not right. Do you think you can do anything?"

The other boy already had his PDA out of his pocket, and was tapping away rapidly, the tension in the lines of his face suggesting he felt the same way.

"I might be able to hack into it, but I'd have to connect the PDA directly. We'll have to go in there."

Danny looked back at the creature slumped on the cell floor and sighed. While he might have inherited a healthy caution for ghosts from his parents, he was determined not to share their prejudice, for Sam's sake.

"Alright. Stand back, I'll open the door and keep a thermos on him just in case." He quickly typed in the release code on the cell door before he could change his mind, grabbing the thermos as the glass door slid open. Tucker seemed to steel his nerves a moment, then stepped into the cell, Danny at his back.

The techno-geek crouched bravely next to the werewolf, his hands shaking slightly in instinctual fear as he connected his precious computer to the still-hot collar.

The ghost stared at them through pain-filled eyes, not making any move to interfere. Danny thought he saw a hint of curiosity in that hazy gaze, but the ghost remained passive. He kept the thermos trained on him just in case, unwilling to trust the strange ghost just yet - it had, after all, attacked Sam more than once.

With that thought in mind, Danny tensed as Tucker's PDA beeped, followed by a soft click as the collar innocently unlocked, falling open.

For a moment the werewolf didn't seem to realize what had happened. Then his eyes widened in disbelief, the glowing green gaze shining in surprise.

Suddenly the ghost shot upright, massive furry arms with their deadly claws engulfing the two boys. Both teens let out a shout of panic before they realized the creature wasn't trying to crush them to death, but was instead hugging them with an enthusiasm to rival Jack Fenton's.

_"Mi estas libera! Dankon, amikoj!"_ (3) The werewolf rattled off, finally releasing the two shocked teenagers.

Tucker was the first to find his voice, laughing shakily, "Yeah, amiko… friend…Don't kill your amikoj."

Danny was massaging his ribs, wincing as his heart rate slowly settled back to normal. He had just been _hugged_ by a _werewolf_ _ghost._ And he was not dead.

"Okay, so….now that we've got that sorted out…I guess we should just let him go back to the Ghost Zone?" Danny asked, not really expecting Tucker to know the answer. He didn't know what he'd do if the werewolf didn't go back through the portal. He didn't really feel like forcing him after the ghost called them 'friends', but a giant glowing werewolf running around town wasn't exactly okay.

Tucker shrugged, eyes already back on his PDA. He had detached it gingerly from the collar and was rapidly typing once again. "Lemme bring up my translator. I don't know enough Esperanto to really talk to him, but maybe we can ask him why he's here in the first place - and who put that collar on him."

The ghost peered over the boy's shoulder curiously at the strange device that had been used to free him, his looming figure unknowingly unnerving his new friend. Tucker smiled weakly up at the ghost, typing a few things into his PDA before reading off hesitantly,

_"Kio estas via nomo? Kion vi faras ĉi tie?" _(4)

The ghost looked surprised for a moment, then growled back down at the teens, showing a very impressive display of fangs, his expression urgent and serious once again.

_"Mi estas Wulf. Mia malnova mastro sendis min ĉi tien por spioni via amiko. Li planas kapti ŝin pro la rekompenco!" _

Danny flinched at the growl, but it clearly wasn't directed at them. He looked expectantly at Tucker, who was reading his PDA with an increasingly anxious look.

"What did he say?" Danny demanded quickly, not liking the expression on his friend's face one bit.

"His name is Wulf, and he says his 'master' is trying to capture Sam and turn her in for Aragon's reward!" Tucker read off.

Danny felt his breath catch. "His master? Who is his master?"

Tucker quickly typed more into the PDA looking up the translation. He spoke as quickly as he could to still be understood, and Wulf's expression darkened.

"Plasmius," was the ghost's only answer, followed by a dark snarl.

Danny and Tucker shared a confused glance. The name didn't ring any bells with them, but they had a feeling it meant nothing good. Any ghost that would use another in such a way was undoubtedly smart, and had to be powerful enough to subdue someone like Wulf to get the collar on him in the first place. In short, Sam was probably no match for this 'Plasmius.' And they had just left her, completely unguarded, alone except for a group of helpless teenage girls.

Danny rounded on Tucker just as the techno geek reached the same conclusion.

"We've got to warn Sam!" They shouted, nearly in unison.

Tucker hurried to grab his backpack as Danny reached for the Fenton thermos, where he'd left it sitting by the cell door. The thermos was gone.

"What? Tucker did you take - " He stopped, as suddenly another much more crucial observation registered in his brain. The containment cell's door was closed. Locked. With all of them inside.

Danny looked up in time to see the culprit sneering at him through the glass, spinning the Fenton thermos carelessly on one hand.

* * *

It had been too easy, really, he should have just done this from the beginning instead of wasting a full day following the stupid kids around school. Johnny leaned casually on the lab counter as he admired his handiwork, ignoring the angry banging and shouts emanating from the strange clear cell he'd trapped the kids in. Them and that creepy, scary werewolf. Johnny had seen wanted posters of that guy near Walker's place, and was fervently glad the ghost was locked away safely. Those claws were something he didn't want to mess with.

He tightened his grip on the metal soup-container, grinning in triumph.

"This should work to catch that stupid ghost girl, if it can hold Wulf. And with Kitty distracting her, it shouldn't be hard to sneak up and suck her in." Johnny mused aloud, smirking further at the distraught expressions of the humans behind the glass, who could clearly hear him. He turned to the stairs, ready to take his prize.

"C'mon, Shadow, let's go catch our bounty." He commanded, and the faithful dark force slipped from a shadowy corner of the lab, eyes glinting maliciously.

The pair had just moved towards the door when a loud 'ding' resounded through the room, followed by the hiss of metal moving in smooth tracks.

All eyes in the room turned impulsively to the device that had issued the noise.

The Ghost Portal stood open, the green vortex at its center swirling in agitation as a being made passage from one realm to another. Everyone watched blankly as the ghost came through, materializing into a…..rabbit?

Johnny stared at the furry ghost. The rabbit stared back.

Then all hell broke loose.

The ghostly lagomorph launched itself at the biker's face, innocent furry features suddenly erupting in a ferocious snarl with fangs and claws that had no right belonging to something so small and cute.

Johnny reeled back, struggling to free himself of the creature as more snarls and growls erupted into the room, heralding a veritable swarm of furry death as it charged through the open portal.

Creatures of various frightening mutations on simple forest animals poured into the room, boasting an array of claws, fangs, and spikes that had the biker screeching in panic. His faithful shadow had immediately come to his aid, unleashing its own brand of terror on the mutant animal ghosts. Yet even that force was not enough to overcome the horde. Johnny quickly realized that if he didn't do something _soon_ he was going to be torn to shreds. He glanced rapidly around the lab and saw the one thing that could help him: The three potential allies safely contained inside the ghost-proof box, looking both shocked and smug that they were untouchable.

Well, screw that.

Johnny smashed the code box for the door release, forcing the cell door open whether its occupants still wanted freedom or not.

To his surprise the kids sprang immediately into action, instead of running in fear as Johnny had honestly expected them to do. The techno-geek whipped pistols from his pockets and began firing away recklessly, while the dark haired teen grabbed a scary-looking gun from one of the cabinets and began wreaking havoc, shooting heavy unstable-looking blasts into masses of fur and fangs without hesitation. Wulf was an equally frightening force, his own animal strength more than a match for the other ghosts.

For a few furious, breathless minutes, Johnny fought alongside the two teens and the werewolf, directing Shadow while throwing his own blasts and punches.

One of the boys - Danny - he thought he remembered the ghost girl calling him - ducked under a vicious swipe from a four-eyed bear with extra long claws, dodging around the beast until he was at Johnny's back.

"Hey, you still got that thermos?" He asked, with an almost nonchalant air, as if he did this every day.

The biker snorted, shooting an ecto blast at a raccoon attempting to eat his face before pulling the device from his pocket. He didn't really want to give it to the kid, but to be honest he wasn't sure quite how it worked. He had been planning on figuring that out on his way to capture the ghost girl, sure that it couldn't be that complicated. Kitty would be able to figure it out, anyway.

However, if they wanted to end this fight any time soon, he didn't have much choice. Reluctantly Johnny held the soup container out to the teen, grumbling, "I'll give it to you if you promise not to suck me up in it." He offered half-heartedly, knowing he really didn't have a choice.

To his surprise the boy nodded, too distracted from defending himself against attacking claws to really think about it, "Deal!"

As soon as the thermos came into play, it was clear the battle was over. The teen activated the device and within a matter of seconds had trapped all the ghosts attacking him in the blue beam. A minute more and he'd swept the room, alternating between the beam of his thermos and the energy rounds from his heavy gun.

At last, the dust settled and left the four in a panting, ringing silence.

Danny capped the thermos, brushing the bangs and sweat from his forehead in relief. His techno-geek friend slouched to the floor against one counter, grinning at the pistols in his hands, giddy from the fight.

Johnny glanced around in disbelief at the now-empty lab, looking a little worse for wear but distinctly animal-ghost free.

"Hey, you sucked up Shadow!" The biker suddenly realized, seeing no sign of his dark companion.

The dark haired teen shrugged, not looking the least bit sorry, "Oops. Well, you can meat up with him in the Ghost Zone later. First, you're going to help us protect Sam."

Johnny raised an eyebrow at the boy, "Why should I help you?"

In response, Danny smirked at him.

"You _could_ help us out of gratitude and because you owe us for locking us in the Ghost Containment Cell. _Or -_ " his expression turned to a harsh glare, raising the thermos and charging it, pointed right at Johnny, "I could just send you back to the Ghost Zone right now, right in the middle of this swarm of angry animals."

The biker heard the answering growl from Wulf and saw the other teen pointing more ghost weapons at him, and raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, chill man, I'll help you protect the spooky chick, just _put that thing down!_"

Johnny knew when he was beat. He'd also seen enough in the past few minutes to realize how stupid it had been to mess with these kids in the first place. Kitty had been right, no reward was worth this kind of headache.

* * *

Danny cautiously capped the thermos once again, clipping it to his belt loop for easy access. He didn't trust the biker ghost one bit, but if this 'Plasmius' was after Sam, it couldn't hurt to have another set of eyes out.

Besides, he wasn't sure how much the thermos would actually hold, and he didn't want to waste space with the biker when he might have to use it to protect Sam.

A stream of hurried Esperanto on behalf of Wulf interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced to Tucker for a translation. His friend already had his PDA out once again.

"Wulf says those ghosts were sent by Plasmius! They were supposed to keep us busy while he goes for Sam!"

Danny felt his blood run cold, "So he's attacking her _now? _We'll never get to Paulina's in time!"

The biker ghost paled, his pasty color turning a sickly gray, "_Plasmius?!_" He nearly shouted, his voice breaking in his fear, "Plasmius is after the ghost girl? Oh man…Kitty was right, this whole thing was a stupid idea…"

The ghost jolted suddenly, looking even more terrified than he had before, if that were possible.

"Ah! Kitty! She's with your girl! Plasmius might hurt her!"

Danny and Tucker both glared at the biker ghost for his lack of concern for their friend, but now was not the time to argue.

"We've got to go help Sam!" Tucker started, running for the stairs. Danny was hot on his heels when claws roughly grabbed their shirts from behind, jerking them back.

_"Tro malrapida. Mi prenos vin al via amiko." _(5) Wulf growled insistently, turning the boys to face him. Danny looked to Tucker for an explanation, but the boy didn't have time to translate. The powerful werewolf held his clawed hands out to his sides, and with a further growl his claws unsheathed, extending into menacing weapons. He raised his hands and tore at the air as if it were a flimsy sheet of paper. The lengthened claws caught on the emptiness, tearing a swirling hole into the physical world.

Danny could only stare open-mouthed at the impossibility of it. This ghost could open portals at _will_. Just who the heck were they dealing with here? Ghosts weren't supposed to be able to do that!

Even the biker ghost looked dumbfounded. "You can make portals?! That's sick, man! Hey do you think you could - " He began, but didn't get the chance to finish. Wulf grabbed all three, ghost and human alike, and shoved them unceremoniously through the new portal.

The feeling was bizarre, to say the least. It felt like stepping through a waterfall, except it was dry and at once blazing hot and bitterly cold. Danny felt his breath catch in his chest and his stomach flip like he was on a roller coaster, and then abruptly everything was normal again. He stumbled a bit as his feet hit asphalt and he just barely managed to catch himself in time to stand upright. Tucker was getting his balance next to him, while the two ghosts looked unaffected. Wulf whined an apology but made no other explanation to his power, sniffing the air frantically. Danny forced his head clear of the lingering disorientation and turned his attention to the mansion rising in front of them. Wulf had deposited them right at Paulina's house within only a few seconds.

Danny didn't waste any more time worrying how this was possible. Instead he charged up the elegant walkway, flashing past decorative shrubbery and perfectly manicured grass without a second glance. He only stopped once he got to the door, and was about to throw it open without so much as a knock when Tucker stopped him.

"Danny, we can't just barge in there! How are we supposed to explain to Paulina's parents and whoever else might be in there that there's some crazy ghost after Sam? Especially with a _werewolf _ and some dead Grease character with us?"

"Hey! My name's Johnny and I'm not - " The 'Greaser' protested, but Danny ignored him. He knew Tucker was right, but there was a sinking feeling in his chest that told him they were running out of time - if they weren't too late already.

"Why don't you just call your girlfriend, dude?" Johnny managed to get out.

Both Tucker and Danny blinked at this simple logic, and Danny immediately whipped out his phone, too worried to really take note of Johnny's comment. He hit the speed dial for Sam and held the phone to his ear, listening to the other line ring with rising fear.

The seconds passed tortuously. "Pick up, Sam, c'mon, please!" He found himself begging in a half-whisper, but his only answer was the continuous ringing. Danny bit his lip. She might just be busy…in the bathroom or something…or…

A scrambled sound, sharp and electronic and a muffled, _"Dan-!"_ that was cut off too sharply, with a crackle of background noise and then -

Danny yelped in pain as his phone erupted in green sparks, sending a painful shock through his ear that made him recoil and drop the device. The phone crashed to the ground, shattering.

"Woah! Danny, are you okay?" Tucker called in concern, but Danny hardly heard him. It wasn't the jolting ache still running through his hand and his head that had him speechless. It was the fear.

Disregarding all caution and much common sense, Danny threw the door open and charged into the mansion, Tucker's yells and Wulf's bark of surprise meaningless in the face of the anxiety clutching his chest.

He charged through the house, too preoccupied to really notice the scenery around him until he reached what was unmistakably a living room, or at least what _had _been a living room.

Furniture was destroyed, shelves shattered and coffee tables in shambles, the couches torn with massive holes through their centers, still faintly smoking.

"Sam!" Danny yelled out desperately, but there was no sign of her. The room was empty, not even a few frightened teenage girls to give him even the slightest hint of where his friend was.

He was vaguely aware of Tucker and Johnny behind him, as the biker ghost swore at the sight of the wreckage.

"Where is everyone?" Tucker was the first to ask.

"Kitty? Kitty can you hear me?" Johnny yelled, first into the room, and then into the ring on his left hand. Danny vaguely registered the note of cold panic in the ghost's tone - an echo of the fear surging in his own heart.

"_Johnny! Thank god its you - are you in the house? I'm outside - the humans ran screaming…I - "_

No one waited for Kitty's voice, broadcasting from the ring, to finish her words. They were scrambling to the back door, Danny and Tucker throwing it open to see the garden also in shambles. What was probably once expensively tended beds of flowers was now nothing more than churned up mud, a fact which the ghost hovering there did not seem to appreciate. Danny didn't need an introduction to guess that this was Kitty, as she was dressed in a similar era of fashion to her biker boyfriend.

She immediately soared from her feeble hiding place behind the smoking ruin of what was once an oak tree to her boyfriend's waiting arms, trembling and clearly shaken.

Danny, however, didn't have the patience to wait for her to calm down.

"Where's Sam?" He demanded, his tone more desperate than stern, "What happened?"

Johnny shot the teen a glare for his tactlessness, but Danny hardly cared.

Kitty sniffed, shooting a look at the two human boys and then Johnny, clearly confused. The biker grit his teeth, but he was still clearly reluctant to get on the boys' bad side. Especially with Wulf still towering protectively over them.

"Go on, Kitten. Tell us what happened." He encouraged softly.

The girl rubbed the mascara from her eyes, collecting herself somewhat.

"I was following the plan - you know, overshadowing that shallow Paulina chick - " (Tucker grumbled aloud at this, but all present shushed his protest)

" - When the ghost girl called me out, she apparently knew the whole time. You weren't back with the soup-thing yet so I figured I'd keep her busy with a fight. But before we could do anything but throw a couple ectoblasts, _he_ showed up!" She winced, hugging her arms around herself. Johnny pulled her closer in comfort, but Danny was filled with that nagging anxiety that insisted they help Sam _now_.

"So what, this Plasmius guy and Sam fought, right?" He prompted impatiently.

Kitty scowled at him, but continued her monologue.

"Yeah, and they pretty much blew up half the house. All the girls left screaming about ghosts, and I think Paulina's parents took her to some safe-bunker or something…anyway…then Plasmius pulled out this weird fork-looking thing and stabbed the ghost girl with it. It zapped her and she turned back into that spooky goth chick. Then he grabbed her and _teleported_. Do you know how strong a ghost has to be to teleport itself, let alone a human with it? Crazy! I _told _you this was a bad idea, Johnny."

She aimed this last comment to her boyfriend, who merely rolled his eyes.

Danny ran a hand through is hair in frustrated fear. "So this Plasmius guy somehow forces her to turn human again and just disappears?! They could already be in the Ghost Zone by now! He could have already turned her in to Aragon!"

Tucker put a calming hand on his friend's shoulder as Danny continued to work himself into a frenzy.

"It's okay, dude, we'll get her back, but we've got to get our gear. It's all back at your place." He pulled out his PDA and began translating a few words to Wulf, who was nodding in agreement. The werewolf ghost once again tore a portal into midair.

"You guys coming?" The techno geek asked, turning his attention to the ghostly 80's pair. Johnny looked a bit sheepish.

"Uh..sorry. No offense little man, but Plasmius is bad news. We might already be dead, but we don't need that guy turning us into piles of ectoplasm. You understand, right?" The biker offered, shrugging.

Danny scoffed at the pair's cowardice, but he couldn't exactly blame them. They didn't care about Sam, after all, they had been just as willing to turn her over to the dragon prince as any other ghost. He shot them a glare and turned to the portal.

"C'mon Tuck, we're wasting time." He practically growled.

Johnny raised an eyebrow and said in an undertone to the techno-geek, "He's kinda touchy about his girlfriend, huh?"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

* * *

If Danny had been thinking more clearly, he might have asked Wulf just exactly where he tore the portal to. He had assumed it would be back to the lab, but hadn't thought to ask.

So it was a shock for everyone involved when Danny, Tucker, and Wulf stepped into the Fenton's kitchen right as Jazz turned around with a pot of boiling spaghetti in her hands.

Luckily, the only one the flying pot of hot water and noodles hit was the ghost of the group, who smartly went intangible before the scalding dinner could hurt him.

"Danny!" Jazz shrieked, "What - who…is that a _werewolf?_"

Her brother winced, knowing that no amount of half-baked lies or excuses could explain away the fact that he and Tucker just materialized in the kitchen with a giant, glowing, green-eyed werewolf ghost in their midst. It didn't help that the aforementioned ghost was sniffing curiously at the fallen pasta, examining a stringy noodle with an unwarranted amount of curiosity.

Danny decided that the truth - or at least some version of it - would be his only option.

"Look, Jazz, don't freak out or anything! The ghost is cool, he's more likely to lick you than hurt you - I think - so just calm down. We've got to get into the Ghost Zone, there's some evil ghost that captured Sam and we have to go get her. Just don't let Mom and Dad know and - "

His sister suddenly snapped to attention, losing some of her dazed shock.

"A ghost has _Sam?_" She demanded, then seemed to focus on the other part of Danny's plea. "Oh no, you are _not _going into that dangerous portal thing! You could get killed!"

"And so could Sam!" Danny shouted back, his anxiety causing him to lose what was left of his frayed temper."What do you expect me to do, just leave her there?"

This outburst left Jazz momentarily speechless, which gave Tucker the opportunity to lightly interject.

"It's not as if we're going in blind, Jazz. We've been in there before, we've got ghost weapons, and we've got Wulf. He can take us right to Sam and back out again in an instant. No ghosts will even have time to see us!" the techno geek pleaded.

The older girl looked between her brother, his friend, and the ghost currently dining on her dinner and huffed in defeat.

"Fine, but I'm going with you." She conceded stubbornly.

Danny was about to protest, but Jazz shot him a look that only an older sister could, one that said clearly you're-younger-and-therefore-I'm-the-boss. The teen sighed, knowing they had lost enough time already dealing with Kitty and Johnny. Arguing would only slow things down. Instead, he led the way to the lab, where he and Tucker grabbed their backpacks and stuffed them full of everything they thought would be of use. The techno-geek held a shaky conversation with Wulf, stumbling a bit over the foreign words but managing fairly well. When he finished, however, he was looking grave.

"Uh, guys? Wulf says making portals takes a lot of energy. He could get us to Sam, but it would take a while before he'd be strong enough to get us back."

Danny grumbled, rubbing his still-sore ear as he adjusted his backpack. "I guess we'll just have to wing it on the way back then."

Jazz frowned at her brother, then tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Or, we could save..uh..Wulf's strength for the return trip and get to Sam ourselves. That way we have a sure escape."

Both boys looked to the older girl in surprise. She was still clearly struggling with accepting the ghost-concept, let alone the fact that they were about to venture into the Ghost Zone itself, but she was far more levelheaded than either of the boys.

"That's…actually really smart." Tucker stated aloud. Danny reluctantly agreed, but he saw a flaw in that plan.

"Even if we use the jetpacks it will take us forever to get to Aragon's castle, though, and by then he could have locked Sam in some dungeons somewhere and it would be even harder to get her out. Tucker and I may be good with the ecto-pistols but we're no match for Aragon or the Fright Knight. We have to get to Sam as fast as possible." He reminded, more to Tucker than Jazz, who looked lost at this renewed bought of ghostly references.

The older girl was not top of her class for nothing, however, and picked up the situation quickly.

"Well….this might be really dangerous, but I suppose if it's to help Sam…we could take the Specter Speeder." Jazz said hesitantly, walking over to what looked like a bare stretch of wall. She pressed her thumb to a genetic lock and with a hiss of metal part of the wall slid upwards, revealing shining silver and green vessel hovering several feet off the ground.

Danny blinked at his sister while Tucker gaped at the marvel. "I thought Mom said that wasn't finished yet?"

Jazz looked uncharacteristically nervous. "It isn't, not _technically_, but I was down here when Mom was working on it and she showed me how it works and everything. It's got the propulsion system running and guidance, it just doesn't have any weapons working yet."

"So if we get attacked we're essentially sitting ducks?" Tucker summarized, tearing his gaze away from examining every inch of the technology.

Jazz bit her lip, looking as if she regretted the idea already, but Danny was done waiting. He slung his bag into the Speeder's cockpit and climbed in after, calling over his shoulder.

"It's our best bet to get to Sam. Besides, we've got our ghost weapons, they'll be enough."

Tucker didn't look convinced, but reluctantly followed after his friend. Jazz immediately took over the pilot's seat, ushering Danny out of it with the insistence that at least _she_ had a driver's license. Danny was too tired of wasting time to argue.

Wulf piled in behind them good-naturedly, sniffing at everything with interest. Danny was already used to the ghost enough not to even be bothered by his hot breath on the back of his neck, but Jazz looked especially tense. She pressed in a variety of buttons on the controls and backed the odd ship out of its bay, turning it about to face the portal. She glanced at her brother nervously, and Danny offered her a reassuring smile.

Jazz might be putting on a brave face to be the responsible adult of the group, but Danny knew she was terrified at the thought of going into the Ghost Zone. She had just barely accepted the fact that ghosts were real, let alone that there was a whole world full of them. It was clear she was worried about what she was about to see.

Danny wished fervently that they could have left her behind, but he knew how stubborn his sister was. She was a Fenton, after all.

Jazz hit a button on the dash and the portal doors slid open, revealing the swirling green vortex. The humans in the vessel took a deep breath as the Speeder floated through the glowing gate, while Wulf pressed his muzzle to the window in a bizarre parody of a family dog.

They passed into the cold, dark abyss of the Ghost Zone, the eerie grin light filling the cockpit as an endless array of doors slid past them. Jazz's eyes were wide in wonder, and even Danny had to admit it still was pretty cool, even if he'd seen it before. That wasn't much comfort, though, as he also knew just what lurked behind those doors. Tucker seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"I really don't want to open a bunch of scary ghost lairs again. How do we get to Aragon's castle?" The techno geek mused aloud, clutching his PDA close to his chest for extra comfort.

Danny looked to the ghostly member of their crew. "I was hoping Wulf could tell us."

The werewolf looked up at the sound of his name, not needing Tucker's translated question to understand what his new friends wanted. He slipped intangibly from the ship, floating alongside the window with his nose in the air. He sniffed intently for a few moments before gesturing to the humans to follow, and the group took off into the depths of the Zone.

Minutes slid by in agonizing slowness. Danny was constantly perched on the edge of his seat, ready to jump out of the Speeder at the first sign of trouble - or Sam. Jazz didn't need to be as observant as she was to pick up on her brother's agitation. She knew he was worried about his friend, but so was Tucker, and while the techno geek was clearly concerned, he wasn't acting like the world was about to end any second.

"You okay, Danny?" She asked quietly, watching her brother rub a hand to his ear, his jaw clenched.

The teen didn't quite meet her eyes, staring out the window instead as he answered, "Yeah, I just have a headache...and I'm worried about Sam."

Jazz frowned a bit at the answer. They both knew that much was obvious, she was worried about the girl, too. But she wasn't trying to practically jump out of her seat. The older girl watched her brother critically for a moment longer. It was clear to her that despite all of Danny's protests that Sam was _just_ his friend, his heart obviously thought otherwise. Whether or not her brother had realized or accepted this yet, Jazz wasn't sure. Knowing Danny, he probably had no clue.

She decided to try and calm him down and get some more information on this impromptu rescue mission at the same time.

"Why would a ghost want to kidnap Sam, anyway?" she asked curiously.

To her surprise, Danny flushed, _definitely_ not meeting her eyes this time.

"Uh…not sure. Maybe because of…me? Yeah, probably because she's friends with a family of ghost hunters." He rambled out quickly, his unsure tone and shifty expression more than enough for Jazz to know he was lying, even if she hadn't known him his whole life. She decided to let that little point drop, however, for it was clear whatever was going on the three friends were all in on together, and not likely to betray each other's secrets. Jazz actually appreciated the loyalty her brother and his friends shared, and was glad he had people that were that close to him.

However, at times like these it could be incredibly irritating.

"I guess that makes sense." It didn't. "You mentioned an "'Aragon' or something before? Is that the ghost that took her?" she asked, hoping she could at least get a few real answers out of Danny.

Her brother's expression hardened quickly, "No, some ghost named Plasmius was the one that kidnapped her, but it's because Aragon wants her captured. She….made him really angry the last time we were in here." Danny finished evasively. Jazz sighed, banking the Speeder a little to the left as Wulf led them past blocks of floating, empty rock.

She figured that was about as much real information as she'd get out of her brother, but what he said worried her. "So are you going to tell me why you guys were running around in the Ghost Zone before? And why you and Tucker have been messing with Mom and Dad's ghost weapons?" She couldn't help but ask, more out of concern for her brother's safety than any desire to pry into his secrets.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck and looked out the window, laughing weakly, "Would you believe me if I said we were hunting ghosts?"

Jazz raised an eyebrow at her brother. She knew he had always been the one to be more accepting of their parents' obsession, but he had never expressed any more interest in ghost fighting than she had, and had been just as adamant in dodging their parents' attempts to include him in their 'research'. Especially lately, although he had clearly been doing some tinkering on the weapons without their knowledge.

She was just about to call him out on this fact when in front of the Speeder Wulf abruptly stopped, and it was immediately apparent why. In front of them loomed a massive dark castle, set on a floating mass of rock and forested grounds. The tops of the towers were shrouded in gray clouds, tinted green by the ever-present vibrancy of the Ghost Zone around them.

Danny had immediately sprung out of his seat, but he didn't get a chance to start grabbing ghost weapons. Instead both he and Tucker froze, as, visible through the wide window of the Speeder's cockpit, they saw a bright figure dart from the darkness of the castle walls, shooting through the cloudy atmosphere with the speed only a hunted being could possess.

"Sam!" Danny yelled involuntarily, so incredibly relieved to see her safe and alive and free that he didn't realize immediately what he had done.

Tucker didn't register it either, calling out in relief, "Alright! She's safe _and_ she got out of Aragon's already! That's the Sam we know!"

"_That's _SAM?!" A voice gasped from behind them, finally bringing reality back to the two teens with brutal force.

Jazz was also staring out of the window at the ghostly being rapidly approaching them, one who was sure to murder her friends horribly when she realized what they'd done.

* * *

**A/N: I'm just gonna put this here and...y'know... **

**...but seriously, lots of new things are a little overwhelming, but now I'm finally settled in my new place and have internet and some semblance of stability. Meaning chapter 10 should be up shortly - I've got half of it written but on paper and not edited or finished yet. Poo. **

**Esperanto Translations (courtesy of google-translate): **

**(1) "I found her. She is always with two young men, only leaving them to fight our kind. They know she is a hybrid."  
(2) "Listen! My master hunts you! You have to hide, he is -"  
(3) "I am free! Thank you, my friends!"  
(4) "What is your name? What are you doing here?"  
(5) "Too slow. I will take you to your friend." **


End file.
